Swedish-Nigerian filmmaker and dancehall artiste Dare ‘Baba Dee’ Fasasi has recounted how actor Segun Arinze deterred an armed robbery attack on the Benin-Ore Road in Ondo State.
In a video posted on his Instagram page on Saturday, Fasasi, late singer Sound Sultan’s elder brother, revealed that the armed robbers halted their operation upon seeing Arinze.
Baba Dee’s account further amused the audience. After halting their activities, he said the robbers began praising the actor, addressing him by his iconic screen name, ‘Black Arrow.’
Arinze gained widespread fame for his portrayal of ‘Black Arrow’ in Chico Ejiro’s 1996 classic, ‘Silent Night.’
He said, “Guys, I kid you not. It’s a real-life story. I was in Ore, somewhere in Ore, Benin, and riding with one actor. When we got there, there was a robbery, and then we had to pack the vehicle.
“You know we were going for a wedding, so we packed the vehicle. Somehow, I just noticed that all the armed robbers were coming to hail the actor “Black Arrow” “Black Arrow” and that’s how they stopped the actor. This [Segun Arinze] is the only actor with street credibility amongst armed robbers, and I swear to God. I swear to God.”
While Fasasi recounted the incident in the video, Arinze stood beside him, laughing and saying, “You are crazy, man.”
Background
Since his iconic portrayal of ‘Black Arrow’ in ‘Silent Night’ brought him to the limelight, Arinze has been consistently perceived by the public as a ‘bad guy.’
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the singer-turned-actor disclosed that his constant typecasting as a ‘bad boy’ in movies affected his mental well-being, prompting him to temporarily step away from acting.
On 31 May 2024, this newspaper reported that the award-winning actor said public perception led to his two-year hiatus from acting.
He explained, “People were consistently casting me as a ‘bad boy,’ and it was beginning to affect my psyche. I was getting very depressed. Voiceovers were what kept me going during that time.”
The award-winning actor began his acting career in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Outside of acting in movies, Segun is also an acting coach who passes his knowledge on to the next generation of actors.
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