Following backlash from fans and colleagues, actor Ijoba Lande has publicly apologised to filmmaker Funke Akindele after a controversial video of him discussing his past earnings went viral.
In an emotional Instagram video posted on Friday, the actor prostrated before the camera, pleading for forgiveness and urging the public to help him make amends with Akindele.
“Please help me. Don’t let me end up in jail. Help me beg Funke Akindele,” he said.
Ijoba Lande explained that the viral clip had been edited and misrepresented his original statements.
He clarified that he initially mentioned N190,000 but made a slip of the tongue, which led to the N90,000 figure gaining traction.
“The video people are sharing was edited. That’s not how I originally recorded it. I never had any intention to tarnish her image. She didn’t wrong me,” he stated.
Expressing frustration over the way his words were manipulated, he described those who edited the video as “wicked” and begged Akindele not to take legal action, fearing the consequences could ruin his life.
“When I was explaining that it was N90,000, you cut the video and joined it together. It was not N90,000 from the start, and I explained in the video that it was a mistake — I meant ₦190,000, not N90,000.”
He further narrated how the incident unfolded, stressing that he was discussing the importance of actors agreeing on payment terms before accepting roles.
“Many producers aren’t even aware of how much actors are being paid. Sometimes, the PMs (production managers) remove some of the money before paying the actors. That’s what I was explaining in the video. Then I used my story with Aunty Funke as an example — that I worked with her in 2022.”
He recounted how he spent a month on the set of My Siblings and I, playing the role of a gateman.
Initially, he said he was paid N90,000, but he later corrected himself, clarifying that the actual amount was N190,000.
“I signed the agreement myself. I was okay with the money — that’s why I agreed to it. What happened then was that Aunty Funke called me to work, and someone else brought the contract. I decided to take the job and worked for one month. When the month ended, I stopped going to the location.”
According to him, Akindele later reached out to ask why he had stopped showing up, and upon learning how much he was being paid, she intervened to increase his earnings.
“She asked how much I was being paid, and I told her. She then said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ and I replied that I thought she was aware. That’s when I realized she didn’t know the actual amount. She said they would call me back. I was called back, and she instructed that I be paid daily. They started paying me N55,000 or N65,000 per day until I completed the work with them.”
Ijoba Lande emphasised that his statements had been taken out of context, lamenting how the edited clip distorted his intentions.
“Now you went ahead to cut out the part where I said N90,000, even though I clearly stated in the video that it was a mistake.”
In a final plea, he begged Akindele to forgive him, reiterating that he held no ill will towards her.
“I wasn’t the only one in the video, please. Aunty Funke, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I have nothing against you, and I don’t want any trouble with you either. If you decide to arrest me, it means you just want to send me to prison because I’m not fighting you. Please, I’m begging you.”
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