Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham, has denied claims circulating online about payments made to her former protégé, Abike Shugaa, following a viral video in which the actress recounted her experience working with her.
Abraham, in a post on X on Friday, said she never paid the sums being speculated, insisting the figures being circulated were inaccurate.
“I never paid anyone such, I paid 500k for Malaika and 50k for two scenes in Ijakumo and the director removed it, pls I won’t say a word,” she wrote.
Her reaction followed an over eight-minute video featuring Abike Shugaa, whose real name is Pelumi Olawuni, speaking about her working relationship with the actress and alleged fallout around the film ‘Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper.’
In the video, Shugaa recounted how she was initially grateful for early opportunities, saying, “After the job, she paid me 50,000 Naira immediately. She didn’t owe me.”
She described the payment as encouraging at the time, adding, “And I was sincerely grateful for that. Cause I… needed the money.”
Shugaa, however, alleged that she was later left out of the final version of Ijakumo despite participating in filming and promotion.
“I shot, I think I shot about two scenes… she paid me 50,000 naira for the two scenes,” she said.
According to her, she also actively promoted the project, noting, “We shot about 20 videos. I can’t remember.”
She added that she invited friends and believed she would appear prominently in the movie, saying, “I told my friends, this is my first cinema debut… I’m in the movie.”
However, she claimed her expectations were dashed when she later discovered she did not appear in the final cut of the film.
“When I saw the movie, I didn’t see myself in it,” she said, adding that she was later told the scenes had been removed.
Shugaa also described how the situation affected her emotionally, saying she confided in her family and chose not to confront Abraham directly at the time.
“I cried about it to my own family. I didn’t say anything to her,” she said.
The video has triggered renewed debate on social media, with users split between those criticising the payment structure described by Shugaa and others defending Abraham’s role in her career development.
Shugaa, who previously featured in Malaika, where she played a lead role, was once widely regarded as part of Abraham’s inner creative circle.
The relationship between both women is believed to have soured in recent years amid Shugaa’s growing involvement in projects linked to Funke Akindele and broader industry rivalries.
As of press time, Shugaa has not issued any new statement beyond the viral video, while Abraham’s X post remains her only public response to the controversy.
