IYANTAMA REGAINS FREEDOM

Popular Kannywood actor and producer, Alhaji Hamisu Iyantama, is out on bail. The topmost Hausa movie producer, it will be recalled, was charged for operating his company, Iyan-Tama Multimedia, without registering it with the Kano Film and Videos Censors Board, and for releasing a film Tsintsiya, which was not approved by the board. Chief Magistrate Mukhtari Ahmed sentenced the accused to one year imprisonment with an option of N10, 000 on the first charge and three months imprisonment on second charge plus N300, 000 fine. While Iyantama was incarcerated, unidentified persons brandishing dangerous weapons invaded his residence.

Though they did not harm anyone, they passed the message of intimidation across by threatening the filmmakers' wife and children. This probably explains why many were happy last week that a Kano High Court upturned the judgement of the Magistrate Court as it went on to grant Iyantama bail on self-recognition with a bond of N500,000. Though, Iyantama is the lead character in this dramatic episode between him and the censors' board, many are of the opinion that the outcome of case will determine the future of the Hausa movie industry.

By lekem