7th July, 2021
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Controversial Nigerian actor and producer Yomi Fabiyi said he he has the right to use the name of actress Iyabo Ojo in his controversial film “Oko Iyabo”.
According to the filmmaker, the movie is about Iyabo Ojo and I, fighting a child abuse case from a different angle.
He said he wasn’t cashing in and making light of the matter but writing his own side of the story.
Fabiyi also said Iyabo Ojo had made many videos mentioning his names and those videos are uploaded on social media and YouTube.
Fabiyi’s new film “Oko Iyabo”, which has suffered backlash from social media users, depicts the sexual assault case involving fellow actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha.
Baba Ijesha was arrested in April for sexually assaulting a minor, the foster daughter of comedienne, Princess.
One of the scenes in “Oko Iyabo” is a re-enactment of the viral CCTV video footage which implicated Baba Ijesha.
However, the film portrays Baba Ijesha as a victim of a carefully orchestrated ploy by his close friend. In the film, the teenage actress could be seen making the first move on the actor.
The film promptly sparked outrage on social media after it was released on YouTube.
Many social media commenters canvassed for the film to be reported.
And the film was removed from YouTube barely 24 hours after it premiered.
“I hand you all to your consciences and God. No amount of all these can pull me down. AND NOBODY BANNED MY MOVIE. We private it deliberately just to give room for calm,” Fabiyi wrote on his Instagram story addressing the concerns around the film.
Fabiyi had earlier said the film which critics claimed made a mockery of the victim, was actually meant to “correct” the child abuse and assault.
He said he had been called unprintable names by Iyabo and Princess for standing by what is right in videos that were circulated online.
He vowed that the movie will later be made available online and on DVD which will be rated by Censor’s board and not by social media comments.
“At some point OKO IYABO MOVIE will be released on DVD, YouTube and others. You can’t abort an already born baby.
“Censor’s board will rate OKO IYABO when I apply and everybody will enjoy the movie soon because it is about two young actors, Yomi & Iyabo fighting on a case from different angle and personalities.
“The movie has enough message. MY FULL V RESPONSE TOMORROW. Thank you all for your continued support and genuine concerns,” her added.
The Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) on Monday summoned Fabiyi over the controversial film.
According to TAMPAN, the invitation was necessary “because of the controversy that the subject matter of his film has generated which is against our ethic and virtue.”