The Association of Movie Practitioners (AMPRAC) has refuted the widely circulated claim that suspected kidnapper, Henry Odenigbo, who was shot dead by police operatives in Lagos on July 4, was a registered member of the association.

The President of AMPRAC, Ifeanyi Azodo, who gave the disclaimer while speaking to journalists in Enugu on Saturday, said that the suspect was not connected to the association in any way.

Recall that the late Henry Odenigbo, who was identified as a Nollywood actor and a movie producer, lost his life alongside six others who had planned to kidnap a businessman in Lagos.

It was learnt that police operatives, acting on intelligence, ambushed the kidnappers, killing seven of them, including Odenigbo while two members of the syndicate escaped.

Reacting to the incident, Azodo said that checks on AMPRACs data base showed that the suspected kidnapper was never a member of the association, adding that people of questionable character are never admitted into the association.

He said: The attention of all executives, members and fans of our noble and very reputable Nollywood guild, the Association of Movie Practitioners (AMPRAC) was drawn to the rude shock of a very false claim being laid on AMPRAC. One slain suspected kidnapper/armed robber, Prince Henry Odenigbo was said to be a member of AMPRAC. This is very untrue.

When the news came up, I consulted the AMPRAC chairman of Rivers State. He went through his records and the guys name was not there. I also went through the records that we normally send to the census board, that is our data base, and checked and his name was not there.

So I dont know why somebody will be saying that. It is untrue; it is unfounded. He was never a member of AMPRAC. Also before one becomes a member, we must have to screen the person to make sure that he has that reputation to be a member or to carry our ID card. Prince Henry Odenigbo is not known to our association.

We have the evidence and will willingly furnish you with the data base of AMPRAC Rivers State, where he was said to have been registered. We dont have such a name and will never have.

It is our priority to investigate characters that come for registration auditions. We do this as basic steps to ensure that we dont select criminals.

We do this before any registration exercise so as to avoid dents on our image. This is because we realise our position as role models in the society. We never had such a fellow in our midst and we dont have such a name in our records, he said. (Sunday Sun)