Toyin Abraham denies payment claims amid rift with protégé, Abike Shugaa

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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.

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Abraham, in a post on X on Friday, said she never paid the sums being speculated, insisting the figures being circulated were inaccurate.

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“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.

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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.’

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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.”

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She described the payment as encouraging at the time, adding, “And I was sincerely grateful for that. Cause I… needed the money.”

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Shugaa, however, alleged that she was later left out of the final version of Ijakumo despite participating in filming and promotion.

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“I shot, I think I shot about two scenes… she paid me 50,000 naira for the two scenes,” she said.

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According to her, she also actively promoted the project, noting, “We shot about 20 videos. I can’t remember.”

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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.”

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However, she claimed her expectations were dashed when she later discovered she did not appear in the final cut of the film.

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“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.

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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.

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“I cried about it to my own family. I didn’t say anything to her,” she said.

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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.

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Shugaa, who previously featured in Malaika, where she played a lead role, was once widely regarded as part of Abraham’s inner creative circle.

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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.

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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.

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