Francis Odega is a Nigerian comic actor best known for a hilarious video clip of him which went viral and circulated the Internet. It brought him to limelight as he secured endorsement deals and recognition from foreign celebrities, an example is 50 cent, who Odega claimed followed him on Instagram.
Early Life/Education
Francis Odega was born on 11 June 1970 in Aniocha, Delta State in the south southern part of Nigeria. After completing his secondary school education in Delta State, Odega proceeded to Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma in Edo State, Nigeria and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics
Career
Odega acts mostly in comedy movies where he exhibits his hilarious character and American slangs. He is one of the pioneers of the popular comedy show “Night of a Thousand Laugh” by Opa Williams. Francis Odega started his career in the entertainment industry as a stand-up comedian alongside with Okey Bakassi, I Go Dye and Basketmouth.
He joined Nigerian movie industry, also known as, Nollywood, fully in 1996 and acted in his first movie “Apama” alongside with Charles Awurum and sam Loco Efe. The movie made him a household name in Nigeria and brought him to limelight.
In 2013, Odega won the award for Best Actor and Best African Collaboration at the 2013 Ghana Movies Awards. He became highly famous after a scene from the movies “Back From South Africa” hit the internet with notable people like 50 Cent and Tinie Tempah sharing the video clip of the scene on Instagram. The scene captures him comically speaking in an American accent and slangs like gerrar here….yeah menh…shiit menh….fuck u menh.
Movie
https://youtu.be/0AkslhhVgmw
Francis Odega has acted in over 150 Nollywood movies which include Back From South Africa, House of Gold, Baby Police, How Far, Romeo Without Juliet, Money For Hand, Osuofia in London, My Last Wedding, Campus Cult, etc.
- Back From South Africa
- House of Gold
- Baby Police
- How Far?
- Romeo Without Juliet
- Money For Hand
- Osuofia in London
- My Last Wedding
- Campus Cult
Awards
Francis Odega has won several awards which include Best Comic Actor in Nigeria at the Africa movie Academy Awards. Best Actor at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, Best Collaboration at the Ghana Movie Awards, Most Prominent Actor at the City People Entertainment Awards, Best Actor at the Ghana Movie Academy Awards and Best Outstanding Comedian in Nigeria at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards.
Controversy
Francis Odega Chases His Wife and Daughter Out Of Home
The daughter of actor Francis Odega of the “gerarahere” fame, has cried out to Nigerians to help prevail on him to pay her school fees, even as he has kicked her and her mom out of the house.
Giving details of what has been going on, one of Mr. Odega in-laws wrote: “My sister has been with Frances Odega for 15 years. When my sister met him he had nothing, then he was living at Mafoluku, #Oshodi, Lagos. .
“Then, he only had a video club that wasn’t bringing enough money, so my sister started a salon in the same shop and was taking care of the family with the salon business.
“Then things got very bad because he wasn’t getting any job and whenever my sister advises him to even go out to connect with colleagues that could probably help him, he would beat her up so badly.
“When I was 14, I went to live with them at Aburu around lpaja and my sister was 8 months pregnant. She had to always visit the hospital because of the everyday beatings.
“One faithful night, I was home sleeping and my sister was at the hospital, Mr Odega came home and tried to rape me and I managed to run out of the house.
“So many times he has beaten my sister to the point that she will have to wake up at the hospital and each time all he will say is that my family will do nothing, that we don’t even have money to make any case with him.
“Most times he locks her outside overnight and most times he will embarrass her in public by calling her name, stripping her naked, accusing her of so many things.
“So this year, he sent her packing with her daughter, the only child they both have, but he has refused to pay her school fees. As for my sister, she wants nothing to do with him again because the embarrassment is too much.
“He sleeps with the girls working for her. Even in the house they lived, he slept with a married woman and the husband saw them and sent the wife away. I can go on and on.
“I want Nigerians to help us tell this man to pay her daughters school fees that’s all. Attached is a video of when he beat my sister and sent her packing after locking her out for two nights.”
In a bid to clear his name, Odega shared a video on his Instagram page to narrate his own side of the story and what had really led to the fight between him and his wife.
According to Odega, sometimes in the past, he gave his wife the sum of N7m to purchase a property on his behalf, but she never delivered, even though he saw a video recording of her transaction with a real estate agent that handed over the keys and document of the property to her.
He also disclosed that despite her claims that he was not taking care of their daughter, he paid about N900k in school fees just for the previous term.
The recent brawl between them was however, triggered by the fact that she made another outrageous request for school fees when the school was yet to request for it.
He also claimed that she attempted to set his daughter against him by getting her to release a scripted video in which she lamented the neglect and unfair treatment she was receiving from her dad.
Personal Life
In 2006, Francis Odega got married to Chibuzor Ogega, a lady he met at one of his comedy shows and the couple is blessed with beautiful kids.
Social Media
Instagram: @realfrancisodega
Twitter: @francisodega