How A Striptease Show Launched My Comedy Career – Comedian, Alibaba Opens Up (Video)
Comedian Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, widely known as Alibaba, has shared the unexpected beginnings of his comedy career, recounting how a dramatic incident involving a Congo music striptease performance at his university in the late 1980s set him on the path to becoming an entertainer.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise, the comedian recounted how a night out at Ambrose Alli University in Ekpoma turned into the defining moment of his career.
According to Alibaba, the event was meant to feature just a Congo music striptease act, before it took a new turn.
Alibaba said: “Some lady from, and bear in mind that between 1986 and 1987, there was a new lease of life for Congo music in Nigeria. People embraced Congo music, and so they brought all their dancers as well. And so those dancers were all coming to, they were infiltrating, in fact, they even went into the churches.
“Now, one of those striptease ladies came to our school in Ekpoma, and when she was, in fact, this hall was full, and when it was time for her to then undress totally, she ran off the stage because, you know, some of the, some local people like us had not seen anybody like that in nude form. And so some of them ran on stage, and so the girl was afraid and ran off.
“And they said they needed somebody to come just pacify the people and get them to calm down so the show can continue. And somebody came to me, so Pesio Koje came and said, Ali, can you help us just pacify the audience and let them get back? And so that was how I started emceeing and cracking jokes. So to pacify the people, I had to start doing jokes, yapping everyone.
“But you see, that day was the turning point. I needed to say that that was the turning point because as soon as I got on stage, I was home. I felt at home. I knew this was what I wanted to do. I started entertaining.”
VIDEO: How a striptease show launched my comedy career – Alibaba
Comedian Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Alibaba, has revealed the unlikely circumstances that launched his comedy career, tracing his entertainment journey back to a dramatic incident involving a… pic.twitter.com/Ny2BuzwOJF
— The Nation Nigeria (@TheNationNews) June 28, 2025
