Ali Baba
Nigerian comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akporobomerere, popularly known as Ali Baba, has taken to his official Instagram page, to reveal how he escaped death by the whiskers twice in car accidents while ‘growing up’ in the entertainment industry.
The father of Stand-up comedy in Nigeria disclosed that he came out somersaulting from vehicles on two different occasions, adding that he was returning from an event organised by the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba in 1993 when the first accident happened.
He wrote; “At about 5.30am, just as we passed the #ConcordNewspaper bend on that road linking old domestic to international, I still can remember clearly, that I thought I saw the guy driving nod off on the steering wheels.
"I tried to engage him with a joke, next thing, the car was somersaulting. Must have been more than three times. As it rolled over and over, I kept shouting one thing. Efe, was to tell me later, “Ali money go do you something”… what?
“She said I kept shouting “My cheque! My cheque!! My cheque!!!” How was I to know? To God almighty, I thought I was shouting “My Chest!”… anyway, we later found #TheBookof5000JokesAndOneliners that I was reading. And true, there was a cheque inside. A Trans International Bank crossed cheque of 65k. In 1993… But I still believe I was saying ‘my chest’.”
In another post, Abi Baba said, “The second near death accident was on our way back from the #CoscharisTableTennistournament. The Hiace Bus bringing us from Nnewi somersaulted into the bush after a burst tyre. I was the second passenger in the front seats, next to the driver.
“As God would have it, I was looking for my sentimental cassette to change into my Walkman and had removed my seatbelt. I remember trying to lock back my seatbelt when the tyre burst. I was flung out, through the windscreen onto the hot Shagamu expressway and the bus continued its somersaults into the bush. I was one of the only three people who had no serious injuries. The bus was full. I joined in bringing bodies to the road.”