Popular Nollywood actor and producer, Yul Edochie, has refuted claims that he was close friends with the late Ason Rich, a Nollywood filmmaker recently identified as the alleged leader of a kidnap gang.
Edochie’s reaction comes after a photo of him and Ason Rich went viral on social media, with some speculating on their relationship.
In a statement, Edochie clarified that he had only met and worked with Ason Rich once on a movie titled “Sharon’s Fate.”
He explained that he was contracted by a director for the film and only discovered later that Ason Rich was the producer.
“I did my job and on the last day, he (Ason Rich) expressed his excitement for finally getting an opportunity to work with me. He asked if he could take a picture with me and I obliged. I left there and moved to the next set. That’s the photo that has been in circulation.”
Edochie emphasized that their brief encounter did not constitute a friendship.
“Please, he was not my friend. In any story that has to do with me, people would always blow it out of proportion. This is very wrong and not acceptable. I didn’t know this guy until last month when I shot his movie,” he decried.
The news follows the death of Ason Rich, also known as Prince Henry Odenigbo, during a police shootout with a suspected kidnap gang in Lagos. Police reports alleged Ason Rich was the ringleader of the group.