The Hausa film industry which is known as Kannywood is based in Kano State of Northern Nigeria, the most populated and arguably the most conservative state in the whole of Nigeria. Kannywood, like any other film industry, revolves around many controversies be it their storytelling, depictions and portrayals, outspoken nature, or scandals, among a plethora of reasons.
As a Muslim-dominated industry, Kannywood actors and actresses already knew from the start that any foul play, wayward attitudes, vulgar expressions, swearing, or curse words had little or no room at all, even in the name of acting.
But still with this, the same Kannywood is now a fountain of controversies built with different bricks of recklessness such as portraying the wrong character, feuds, sex tape leaks, public statements, conspiracies, among others. Kannywood is a ticking time bomb that is often perceived as a group of ministers of darkness.
Below are the ten most controversial Kannywood actresses to date.
- Rahama Sadau
Since she first broke into the scene as a new actress in Kannywood, there has been something sinister about her. Rahama Sadau is the kind of actress who thought she could get away with anything, but alas, the harsh reality proved that was impossible and far from the truth.
Rahama turned heads with her vulgar approach to acting alongside Aminu Shariff (Momoh) in a movie where she uttered words that did not sit well with the audience “Ka iya hakon rijiya,” she casually said. The words are somehow coded and Hausa speakers know clearly the underlying meaning . Instead of Sadau accepting her shortcomings and apologising to her audience, she simply played the victim and pointed out that she would stick to whatever her directors ask her to do in the future. By so doing, the Hausa community fully understood that Sadau was ready to go rogue even if what she would say next might go against the teachings of our religion and good cultural values.
Sadau to many is an attention seeker who will do anything to get the attention of her audience and the media, including indecent dressing and displaying her off-screen personal life as a negative stereotype of Hausa culture at large. Sadau’s career in both Nollywood and Bollywood movies only worsened her situation. Without going into any details, she was seen cuddling a man in a music video a decision that cemented her position as the most controversial figure in the typical Hausa theatre.
- Nafisat Abdullahi
Her first big break in Hausa movies and everything that followed was a result of pure talent, and Nafisat Abdullahi was showered with praise by film critics and the media. People saw her as the next big thing at the time. Everything went as planned, as she bagged several leading roles and accolades to her name, until her egoistical nature got the better of her, making her believe she was above everyone else. Such is the situation Nafisa found herself in constantly at loggerheads with the Kano State Censorship Board, which suspended her from the industry.
Nafisa’s public outburst against some Islamic clerics for her lifestyle choices did not help her case. She went on verbally attacking her critics every time they tried to call her out for her indecency. Like Sadau, many believed she is another attention seeker who infamously said she enjoys doing things people consider to be wrong.
- Safiya Yusuf
Safiya Yusuf, widely known as Safara’u a name she adopted from her portrayal of the character in the Arewa24 TV series Kwana Casa’in (90 Days) is both an actress and singer. The Kano State-born actress spent her early years in Ibadan, Oyo State, before relocating back to Kano to complete her secondary school education. Her first big break came in the Hausa film Direba Makaho, before appearing in Kwana Casa’in as a recurring actress. She left the show in 2022 after her nude video resurfaced online. Safiya Yusuf later found herself in yet another controversy after appearing alongside 442, another controversial singer.
- Hadiza Aliyu Gabon
Hadiza Gabon is a talented Kannywood actress who came all the way from Gabon to Kano State to fulfil her dream of becoming an actress. After all is said and done, she did just that—although everything has a price. Gabon’s leaked video, where she was seen scolding, mocking, and physically abusing another actress and newcomer, Amal Muhammad, in the presence of others, did not sit well with the industry or the public. As things began to unfold, the reason behind Gabon’s attack on the new actress was even more appalling. Gabon also appeared recently looking very slim, as opposed to her natural figure, stirring heads and becoming the talk of the town, causing huge debates among fans and critics.
- Sadiya Haruna
This Niger State-born actress started appearing in Hausa films before she left shortly after and began a business enterprise selling female products, locally known as kayan mata, including soaps, perfumes, among many herbal items. Sadiya Haruna’s controversies and legal issues stemmed from immoral social media activities, including a nude video of her and her ties to fellow TikTok user and former husband, G-Fresh.
6 . Murja Ibrahim Kunya
Murja Ibrahim Kunya is a foul-mouthed, highly controversial TikTok user and music video actress who frequently clashes with the Kano State Hisbah Board. Her TikTok videos are often filled with verbal insults aimed at others, vulgar words, and many acts of indecency rarely seen in a Hausa community, where females are typically not as chatty or provocative. Just recently, Kunya was arrested for mishandling Naira notes during her stay at Tahir Guest Palace in Kano State while celebrating her birthday. She was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment or a fifty thousand Naira fine. Murja Ibrahim Kunya is a loquacious young woman who brings little positive influence; rather, she is a troublemaker who always finds herself in hot soup, even though many people see her as a mere TikToker not an actress.
- Maryam Booth
Maryam Booth’s image in the industry quickly vanished into thin air after her sex tape was leaked by her boyfriend, Hausa hip pop artist Diesel. Booth began her acting career as a child star under the guidance of her late mother, actress Zainab Booth, alongside her brother, Ramadan Booth. Maryam Booth went on to have a successful career before she subsequently fall from the grace with the sex video leak. She publicly came out and apologised for her role in the scandal which was better than many actors or actresses with similar situations. Still, the damage was done.
- Ummi Zee Zee
Ummi Zee Zee is a Hausa film actress who infamously appeared alongside Timaya, a Nigerian Afrobeats artist from Bayelsa State. Zee Zee was a trailblazer in this sense, as she was the first known actress from the Northern region to make the bold decision of featuring in a Southern artist’s song a long time before Sadau and others followed suit.
- Kubra Dako
Kubra Dako’s career in the film industry was short and brief, but the amount of controversy she was embroiled in might make one think she had been there for half a century. She was believed to have leaked or released sex tapes of many Hausa film actresses during her short career. She was also rumored to have engaged in racketeering activities specifically blackmail and extortion.
- Fati Slow
Fati Slow may have earned the nickname “Slow” due to the slurred speech she’s often known for in media appearances. Slurred speech is often the result of drug overdose or a medical condition. While one may not exactly know the cause in her case, one thing is clear that the social media influencer and actress appears to be under the influence of something unsettling in her videos. She once accused Naziru Sarkin Waka of infidelity, but after he offered her a tip, she quickly went back on her words.
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