By Sylvester Kwentua

The skit-making industry in Nigeria in recent years has grown to be one of the major sources of entertainment for Nigerians. With just a little internet data and a good phone, getting access to good content to brighten up your day, will never be a difficult task.

For an industry that was birthed in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic period, it won’t be out of place to say that truly, skit-making and of course prank videos, have gradually become a big players in the entertainment industry, sadly overshadowing stand-up comedy shows, which reigned supreme several years ago.

However in recent times, the skit industry has been faced with a little criticism, every now and then. An industry that bid it’s time to gain the viewership of Nigerians, is gradually losing follower-ship unless something is done about it.

The skit industry needs to act fast to curb the perceived excesses of prank makers, who seem to be doing more harm than good, to a wonderful industry.

The pranksters.

Pranksters are skit makers who make videos out of the reactions of members of the public to either a joke or real-life situation. In most cases, the public are not aware they are been pranked until the prankster calls their attention to a recording camera or a sound device. In some bizarre cases, these pranksters engage in life-threatening jokes.

Nigeria can currently boast of having some of the most famous pranksters around the world. However, these pranksters have built their stardom on the gullibility of the same people they tampered on their emotional and psychological health, so to speak.

For a long time, it seemed pranksters were getting away with toying with people’s mental health and cashing out on it, until recently when the Nigerian police raised an alarm over the excesses of a particular prankster who goes by the name, the Trinity Guy.

On Monday, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the public relations officer for the Nigerian Police Force, demanded the arrest of Trinity Guy.

After he disregarded earlier requests for skit creators to moderate their practical jokes because they jeopardize Nigerian lives, the FPRO issued the arrest warrant.

CSP Adejobi, who shared a Trinity Guy extreme prank film on his Instagram page, urged anyone who had been harmed by the skit creator’s pranks to report them to the police.

He said, “This doesn’t make any sense. I think the guy should have been arrested.

“Those individuals who feel the heat and fear of the pranks should be reporting the pranksters as many of their pranks are criminals, immoral, and evil”.

As soon as the CSP’s message started circulating on social media, this reporter, who was on the main campus of the Lagos state university, Ojo, to witness their convocation ceremony and activities, swung into action and proceeded to ask some students what they thought about pranksters and the call for there arrests.

Some of them, who requested to be known by only their first name, shared their experiences with pranksters.

Bola, who claims to be an art student in her third year, shared her experience with a prankster.

“I was in my area buying Coke and from nowhere, a boy brought a note to me. In the wrote was a threat message. The writer accused me of collecting money from him online to visit him but didn’t. He said he was coming to get me at that moment unless I ran. As soon as I had read the letter, I noticed a car driving fast towards my direction. As soon as the car stopped in front of me, two men came down with cutlasses, screaming “Return our guy money”. I was so confused because I knew I have never requested money from guys online. I went on my knees and started claiming innocence. After laughing at me so hard, the other guy who stayed back in the car just shouted ” na prank oh”. Gosh! I lost my insanity. If not God ehn, I for kpai person that day”. Bola said.

Toun, who was close by and was talking with a male friend, could not stop herself from eavesdropping on our conversation.

She begged to speak on the matter, as she also had a bitter story to tell about a prankster.

“Omo no be small thing oh! Na so I dey somewhere for Iba. I was buying fried yams from a food vendor. All of a sudden, the lady beside me just fell to the ground and started shouting”inhaler “. I immediately thought she was under asthma attack and I quickly dashed to the nearest chemist to get an inhaler. The money I for use chop, I use am buy an inhaler. Only for me to get back to where the girl was, to see her laughing. She told me it was a prank. Before she finished talking, I pounced on her and demanded she give me back my money. No be small fight oh, but I collect my money oh”. Toun joyfully said.

Segun, one of the graduands on the day, didn’t have the experience to share, but he feels the call for their arrests, would make them reduce life-threatening jokes.

“That Trinity Guy of a person ehn, is something else. At times I watch his pranks and I get emotional. If people could slap people through phones, I would have gladly offered him some slaps. I remember one of his pranks like that, in the video, he held 200k in his hands and was asking random female passerbys to strip and earn the cash. In my head I was like “This guy wants people’s serious girlfriends and wives to strip in public, all for 200k?” Omo, these guys need to be cautioned abeg. The call for arrest is a good one abeg. We love jokes, but don’t use us the jokes please”. Segun opined.