Nollywood Actor Jide Awobona Joins Growing List of Stars Robbed at Major Events

The glitz and glamour of the Nigerian entertainment industry have once again been overshadowed by security concerns as popular actor Jide Awobona becomes the latest victim of theft at a high-profile gathering. The actor’s recent loss of two premium smartphones at the AMVCA 2026 underscores a worrying trend of security breaches targeting celebrities at major red-carpet events.

Awobona, who took to social media on Saturday to share his ordeal, revealed that both his iPhone and Samsung devices were “picked” during the award ceremony held a week ago. The actor expressed deep regret for ignoring his intuition, stating that he had initially planned to leave early but was persuaded to stay for the after-party.

“You reminded me never to ignore my instinct,” Awobona lamented in a post directed at the event’s memory. “If I had obeyed my instinct and ignored those advising I should wait for the after-party, maybe my iPhone and Samsung wouldn’t have been picked.”

The actor’s experience is not an isolated one, but rather the latest entry in a long list of Nigerian stars who have fallen victim to organized theft during industry celebrations. Just recently, socialite Papaya Ex offered a ₦700,000 reward for the return of her iPhone 16 Pro Max stolen at a movie premiere, while actress Georgina Ibeh reported a similar loss of her Samsung Fold at another high-profile screening.

The trend extends back through several seasons of Nollywood events. In 2024, actress Mercy Aigbe lost two phones during a premiere hosted by Iyabo Ojo, and talent manager Soso Soberekon famously offered half a million naira to recover a device stolen during a high-society wedding.

For Awobona, the loss is more than just financial; it has caused a significant professional setback. The actor revealed that his entire work schedule and contact list for pending “gigs” were stored on the stolen devices. He has since issued a public appeal to producers and clients to resend booking details and reminders for upcoming projects.

While the actor expressed gratitude for his physical safety, the recurring nature of these incidents has raised serious questions about the adequacy of security protocols at major Nigerian entertainment events. Despite the heavy presence of private security and bouncers, the ease with which “phone snatchers” operate within these exclusive circles remains a major point of concern for industry stakeholders.

As of Saturday evening, there has been no official response from the event organizers regarding the security lapse or efforts to recover the stolen property of the attendees.