Ogbomosoland palace dismisses claims by Lere Paimo over Ogbórí Elemoso film

The Palace of the Soun of Ogbomosoland has formally dismissed recent allegations credited to veteran filmmaker and thespian, Chief Lere Paimo, concerning the purported remaking of the Ogbórí Elemoso film. The Palace described the claims as misleading, inaccurate, and capable of generating unnecessary public speculation.

In a statement released by the Media Assistant to the Soun, the Palace explained that it was compelled to clarify the matter in order to set the record straight, despite its long-standing reluctance to engage in public controversies—especially one involving Baba Lere Paimo, a highly respected Chief of the Palace and the Aare Arobajo of Ogbomosoland.

According to the statement, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, had earlier reached out to Baba Lere Paimo to inform him of plans to creatively remodel aspects of Ogbomoso history into a movie project aimed at meeting global storytelling standards, including potential distribution on international platforms such as Netflix. As part of this vision, the monarch invited Baba Lere Paimo to participate in the project as an actor and creative contributor.

The Palace clarified that the financial offer extended to Baba Lere Paimo was strictly for his involvement in the project and not for the acquisition of any copyright.

Further investigations, the statement noted, confirmed that the Ogbórí Elemoso story is not copyrighted and belongs to the public domain.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Baba Lere Paimo was offered the sum of ₦7.5 million, an amount significantly higher than what was extended to other participants in the project,” the statement emphasized.
“Unfortunately, this offer was misconstrued as payment for copyright ownership, which was never the case.”

The Palace also stressed that no individual can claim exclusive ownership of the history of a town, adding that the movie currently in production carries a different title, a distinct storyline, and a separate plot structure, even though it draws inspiration from the rich history of Ogbomosoland.

“As the custodian of the people’s history and culture, His Imperial Majesty affirms that history is dynamic, not static,” the statement read.
“The intention has never been to distort or appropriate history, but to allow diverse perspectives to coexist within a creatively reimagined narrative.”

While acknowledging that Baba Lere Paimo had previously shared his version of the Ogbórí Elemoso story during past engagements, the Palace maintained that the forthcoming movie—scheduled for release next year—is not an exclusive retelling of any single individual’s account.

The Palace further clarified that the matter does not constitute a legal dispute and would have been better resolved through private dialogue rather than public commentary.

Nevertheless, the statement concluded that this public clarification became necessary to halt the spread of misinformation and to reaffirm that both the history of Ogbomosoland and the movie script in question remain firmly within the public domain.

The Palace reaffirmed its commitment to preserving Ogbomosoland’s heritage while promoting creative expressions that project its history to a global audience with dignity, accuracy, and respect.