Sex-With-Dog Saga: I Nearly Committed Suicide – Cossy Orjiakor

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

Bawdy and busty actress Cossy Orjiakor has said that she almost committed suicide with the deluge of condemnations and insults heaped on her after the poster of a film in which she purportedly had sex with a dog was out in the public space.

Speaking with our correspondent recently at a movie premiere held at Troy Lounge, Victoria Island, Lagos, Cossy said that she felt betrayed by the producers of the movie, Itohan, who rather than step up to clear the air on the true situation of things, rather kept mom while the assault on her person drew more attention to the movie.

Nollywood actress and singer, Cossy Orjiakor is any interviewer’s delight. Always unhindered when chatting both online and in real time, the busty and tiny-voice video vixen’s career nearly got busted when she played a character where she purportedly had sex with a dog in the Chico Ejiro’s 2009 controversial movie, Itohan. The Lucky Ewa’s produced movie was Cossy‘s introduction to scandals and controversy as it made headlines not for its campaign against human trafficking but for its many steamy scenes. The controversy generated by that dog scene almost got her career ruined with the backlash and attendant disgrace, according to her, nearly pushed her into committing suicide. She withdrew to her shell and avoided the movie locations for some years while she focused on other areas of her life. But after many years, returned to the movie scene but this time on a low level scale. Cossy alongside other notable Nollywood actors cackled movie lovers’ ribs in the new comedy movie, Kondo Game. The romantic comedy tells the story of the private lives of Nigerian Policemen in the police barracks as it follows closely the antics of two notorious police officers, Austin and Vincent (Francis Odegha and Funnybone comedian). The comedy movie features Nollywood A-listers like Uche Jombo, Mercy Johnson, Mercy Aigbe, Francis Odega, Jide Kosoko, Cossy Ojiakor and Funnybone. The free spirited actress opened up to FUNSHO AROGUNDADE who encountered her at the recent event in Victoria Island, Lagos 

Do we describe your new role in this comedy movie, Kondo Game, as a comeback?

Well, this could as well pass as a comeback but not outright because I have been involved in some other small movie projects before now. There was even a recent one I featured in called Amobi. It is a mixture of Igbo and English movie.

So, you are relaunching yourself with this?

Remember I have been there for so long and at a point, one needed to stay off for a while because life is not that easy. You just want to stay off the publicity, cool off, relax and have fun codedly. But I have been working taking different roles and not really getting noticed. Maybe because of the roles I took in those movies but now that I acted a role many have known me for in this latest movie where I have to use my body feature then I got noticed. Since many didn’t notice that I have been taking part in other projects all this while without much noise around me, I think I might have to take on once again many of this role.

How do you feel performing a character that’s far removed from what people had known you for?

Obviously, as an actor or actress, you should be able to interpret any role assigned to you. You shouldn’t be boxed into a particular role or say this is what I know how to do best. As a versatile person, you must be able to fit into any character given to you. And I think I am a versatile person.

Are you comfortable with the fact that some producers always want to pay attention to a particular feature of your body?

Not really. I played different characters in different movies but it’s only when I played that particular raunchy character using that particular feature of my body as you said that the people easily remember me.

What do you mean by a particular character?

You should know of course, when I played naughty character. People think I am naughty and when I play such character where I have to use my body features. Those are the movies people want to identify me with. But I have done different roles but I don’t seem to get noticed.

Don’t you feel uncomfortable that you have been turned to a sex symbol like?

No. I am an actress and I don’t get worried because I have to interpret the roles that come my way.

When not acting, what else you do?

I am always busy. I split my time between Abuja and Lagos. I stay like six months in Abuja and spend the rest in Lagos. Sometimes, I travel out as well.

Really?

Yeah! I am into property and mostly whenever I am in Abuja where I’m fully into developing of properties, I have to stay around more. I have to monitor the project from the onset and ensure that it’s to the standard of my clients. And by the time, I am through and get back to Lagos, I would have been exhausted and have to chill all alone at home for at least a month before even hanging out.

So, acting is now more of a part time for you?

Not really but if the roles keep coming I can still multitask. But I have to be conscious of where I go now as there are kidnappers everywhere prowling. The country is not safe thus one has to be very careful especially as an actress. For me, it’s not every producer that called that I have to respond to. I have to think of my security first.

Have you ever been under threat?

Never. Just that one has to be very careful. With the news one hears daily, you cannot be too careful as it’s not everyone that invited you to their production that one has to oblige.

How true is the allegation that you are engaged in pimping actresses and other girls for rich men?  

Not really.

But there was a rumour at a time that you pimped for a popular pastor?

Do you know the true identity of the man that turned me into a pimp? Let me leave you to do the calculation. But I can only remember of a particular guy who always pestered me that he liked certain actresses or girls, and I assisted in arranging them for him. There was even a time he promised to get me a Range Rover.

Did you eventually get the Range Rover?

Please let’s just forget that because the Range Rover was later given to one of the girls I introduced to the man but later betrayed me.

You had a bum surgery last year, how long did it take you to recover?

It didn’t take so long for me to recover but I am okay now.

Did you do it in Nigeria?

Yes.

How much did it cost you?

It’s N1.5million. It’s even a promo price.

You were said to have had issues with Chico Ejiro over a role in a controversial movie.

Don’t really like talking about it but you can imagine the man and his wife coming out to deny that the picture of me with a dog that was leaked wasn’t in their movie.

So, you feel bitter over that?

Yes, it made me to just decide to go underground as everybody was then abusing and deriding me. Even in my village, I became a subject of gossip and it really affected me so badly. I became a subject of preaching in churches and my parents were also feeling the heat and the producer who ought to come out to set the record straight was saying something else. It was crazy. If I wasn’t strong, I would have even committed suicide as the heat was too much and unbearable for me.

Suicide? Was the situation so bad?

The people I looked up to described me in unimaginable ways. My late father wasn’t spared either. He knew I was merely acting and so never really cared. But it got so bad that in my hometown, people gathered and were discussing the issue and raining curses on me. They were accusing me of bringing immense shame to the church and the village. Many feasted on the photoshopped images that were in circulation and the jobs stopped coming. I was hurting and that led to my withdrawal from the public space.

Do you go to church?

Sometimes.

Which church do you attend?

I am an Anglican.

When you go, how do you dress?

Of course, I wear church clothes. There are church clothes and their party clothes.

It’s becoming fashionable for actresses to set up foundation and give back to the society. Do you have any?

I do. I give out a lot. I do that in my neighbourhood a lot. They say charity begins at home. I look out for those in my neighbourhood and assist without much noise.

But you live in an elitist neighbourhood on the Island.

You need to know there are squatters in many vacant houses in that so-called elitist area. There are many poor people living in those uncompleted buildings and if you go around and see their living condition, you will pity them.

You have done movies and done music, artistically, what should we be expecting from you later?

The music will get better part of me this year. I have a studio in my house and record easily. This year if I don’t make any impact from music, I will just pack up everything and forget anything pertaining to it. But I am already working with some guys including Kasbeat, Mr. 2kay and Lil Kesh.

Do you have a boyfriend now?

You want to be my boyfriend?