Ali Baba Reveals Comedy Origin

Ali Baba reveals comedy career began after a chaotic striptease show collapsed at his university, prompting him to take the stage and calm the wild crowd

Ali Baba reveals comedy was never his original plan, but a bizarre and chaotic night at Ambrose Alli University in the late 1980s changed his path forever.

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The veteran comedian, whose real name is Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, shared the remarkable story in an interview on Sunrise, a programme on Channels Television.

Recounting the pivotal moment, Ali Baba explained that a Congo music striptease performance was scheduled to entertain students at his university in Ekpoma.

At the time, Congo music and its sensual stage acts were enjoying a wave of popularity across Nigeria—even making their way into churches.

“Between 1986 and 1987, there was a new lease of life for Congo music in Nigeria. People embraced it, and dancers were coming from everywhere—even into churches,” he said.

However, the performance did not go as planned. The female dancer, apparently unprepared for the energy of the student crowd, fled the stage in fear.

“One of those striptease ladies came to our school in Ekpoma… when it was time for her to undress totally, she ran off the stage. Some local guys who hadn’t seen that kind of thing before ran towards her, and she got scared,” Ali Baba recalled.

With the crowd growing rowdy and the show spiralling out of control, the organisers panicked. In that moment, a fellow student named Pesio Koje turned to Ali Baba and asked him to take the microphone and calm the situation.

Without hesitation, he stepped on stage and began cracking jokes to pacify the disappointed audience.

“I got on stage, started cracking jokes and yabbing everyone to calm them down,” he said. “But that day was the turning point. As soon as I got on stage, I felt at home. I knew this was what I wanted to do. I started entertaining.”

That impromptu moment not only salvaged the night, it marked the beginning of a legendary career that would eventually shape the Nigerian comedy landscape.

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Now regarded as one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy in Nigeria, Ali Baba’s rise from that unscripted night to national acclaim is a testament to how talent can emerge in the most unexpected situations.