Nollywood actress and producer Bolaji Ogunmola don come out to beg Yoruba people well-well. The matter na about one film wey she produce three years ago, wey get scene wey dey insult Yoruba women. The film title na “Imperfect Match,” and e don cause plenty wahala since one clip from am go viral for social media.
For the scene wey dey cause trouble, actor IK Ogbonna dey talk to Ogunmola character. Him enter kitchen see her dey prepare ewedu soup, then him talk say the soup smell like soak-away. Ogbonna still add say, “Yoruba girl, you people are very dirty. Are you not seeing my house? Everywhere is clean. Now that you have entered here, I will be seeing tissue up and down, your pants will be hanging on the staircase, that bra that is like cotton, I will come and see it in my parlour.” The talk just dey paint Yoruba women as dirty people wey no sabi keep house clean.
As the clip spread for Twitter and Instagram, people begin vex. Many Yoruba people talk say the film dey promote bad stereotype about their tribe. Some even begin threaten Ogunmola for her social media page. Dem talk say make she remove the film from YouTube, and some wish her parents death. The thing shake the actress well-well.
For Thursday, Ogunmola come post apology for her X page. She talk say, “First of all, I want to apologise to the well-respected Yoruba people for this error. The insult and threat to life and livelihood I have experienced in the last 3 days has been extremely disturbing.” She explain say the film na comedy wey dey show how two tribes fit disagree but still settle with love.
But wetin make matter more complex na how Ogunmola explain the scene. She talk say those offensive lines wey Ogbonna talk no dey for original script. According to her, the actor just improvise am on set. And even though she be producer for the film, she no get power to cut the scene because director get final say for film matter. “I was honestly an actor on set in this scene, even though I produced it. On set, my director has the final say,” she yarn.
The actress still emphasize say she na proud Yoruba woman herself. “I am Yoruba, omo Ibadan ponbele ni mi,” she write for her apology. She talk say she nor go ever agree to make film wey go disrespect her own people. But she accept say at the time dem shoot the film three years back, dem nor know better. “Most importantly, at that time, neither of us knew better,” she add.
Even with the apology, some people still dey ask question. Dem dey wonder why she nor stop the scene when e dey happen. Or why she wait until the clip go viral before she talk. Some social media users talk say as producer, she suppose take responsibility for everything wey dey her film, whether director agree or not.
This nor be first time Ogunmola dey face backlash for film matter. For November 2025, PREMIUM TIMES report say she face criticism for kissing scene with Daniel Etim-Effiong for film wey title “Summer Rain.” But this current wahala don pass that one because e touch tribal sentiment.
For her apology, Ogunmola still talk about the threats wey she receive. She say people send her direct messages wey dey threaten to take her YouTube page. Some even wish her parents death and talk say make her career end. “I also don’t like trouble or drama, that’s why I would rather exit the room,” she write, show say she nor be person wey dey find problem.
As the matter dey trend, e don open bigger discussion about how Nollywood dey handle tribal matters. Many people dey ask whether filmmakers dey careful enough when dem dey make joke about ethnic groups. Because for Nigeria, tribal matter fit cause serious fight if people nor handle am well.
Ogunmola conclude her apology by taking full responsibility. “Again, this is duly noted, and we truly apologise, and as the producer, I take full responsibility,” she write. She beg her fans and Yoruba people to forgive her, and she promise say she go dey more careful for future projects.
The film “Imperfect Match” wey cause all this wahala feature IK Ogbonna, Charles Born, and other actors. E come out for 13 March 2024. Before this controversy, many people nor even know about the film until the viral clip make am popular for wrong reason.
Now, people dey watch to see whether the apology go calm matters. Some Yoruba groups don talk say dem accept the apology, but dem warn say filmmakers must respect all tribes. Others still dey vex say the damage don done, because the stereotype don spread again.
For Nollywood circle, the matter don make producers and directors think twice about how dem dey portray different tribes for film. Because as social media dey strong now, any small mistake fit go viral and cause big problem for everyone involved.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
