A Nollywood film producer, Ralph Nwadike, says the activities of street urchins in Lagos has become a threat to film production at movie shooting locations.

Mr Nwadike said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, in Lagos.

He said that street urchins often demanded to be paid land fee (Owole), before any film production would commence.

The menace has become a thing of great concern to him and his colleagues in the industry, Mr Nwadike said.

He, however, suggested that the Lagos State government could empower registered filmmakers with some form of documentation to be presented to street urchins while on location.

Mr Nwadike said such documentation would deter the street urchins and enable hitch-free movie production.

It is not only me, a number of my colleagues who are filmmakers in Lagos State experience disturbance from these street urchins.

“This has always discouraged most film makers in Lagos.

“These street urchins usually impose some amount of money on us to pay, if not, they threaten to destroy our cameras. They are always armed with knives and other harmful objects.

“They threaten to attack us viciously, this is so scary and it is affecting the tourism industry growth.

“I call on the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and the Lagos state Film and Video Censors Board to wade into this issue because it is really affecting film makers’ business in Lagos.

“It is a sad development. Filmmakers should be given some documentation, which would enable us to operate freely without being interrupted or disturbed by these so-called street urchins,” Mr Nwadike said. 

(NAN)