Toyin Abraham and her former protégé, Abike Shugaa, are at the centre of one of Nollywood’s most talked-about fallouts in recent years, offering sharply different accounts of their fractured relationship.
In a lengthy YouTube video published Abike born Pelumi Olawuni detailed her experience, tracing the relationship from its beginnings to its eventual breakdown.
“I know this video is long overdue, it’s been over three years. Nobody can tell my story the way I experienced it,” she said.
Recounting her early struggles before entering Nollywood, Abike described balancing survival and ambition through work as a TV presenter, thrift clothing sales, and self-taught fashion design.
According to her, a turning point came when she shared online that she had purchased a sewing machine, a post that went viral and drew Abraham’s attention.
“She said, ‘Hello, I want to be your friend. How much is the machine?’” Abike recalled
She added that the actress later sent her N50,000 in support, clarifying a widely circulated claim.
“She didn’t buy me my machine. I bought it myself… she supported me after seeing the post.”
Their first physical meeting occurred in March 2021 during an audition linked to Scene One TV, owned by Funke Akindele.
Abike said she reached out to thank Abraham and was invited over, marking the beginning of a closer working relationship.
“That was the first time I met her physically,” she said.
Opportunities soon followed, including her casting in Ago Alago, described as her first major acting role. She also appeared in productions linked to Akindele’s platform, including the popular TV series Jenifa’s Diary.
Abike characterised this period as pivotal, noting she remained “genuinely grateful” for the exposure.
As the relationship progressed, she said most visits to Abraham’s residence were work-related, particularly for TikTok content tied to brand deals.
“Anytime you see me in her house, it was to shoot content I’m not a user,” she said.
She disclosed receiving transport support ranging from N10,000 to N15,000 for such sessions and provided details of her acting earnings.
“For Agoalago, I was on set for about two weeks… I was paid N50,000.”
She added that she earned another N50,000 for two scenes in Ijakumo, which she claimed were later removed without her knowledge.
“I didn’t even know my scenes were cut… I found out when the movie came out after I promoted it with my friends for free, I even invited them to the premiere to watch me,” she said.
Despite the setback, Abike said she chose not to speak publicly at the time.
Alongside acting, she said she was building independent income streams through content creation and brand promotions, including collaborations linked to Funke Akindele.
“I was already getting paid in dollars,” she said, citing earnings of $600 and $800 for separate campaigns.
According to Abike, tensions began to emerge as the actress allegedly questioned her social media interactions with colleagues, suggesting she was being drawn into existing disputes.
The relationship, she said, deteriorated further during the promotion of Malaika, where she played a supporting role.
Abike stated she was paid N500,000 for the project and contributed significantly to its publicity. “We shot over 100 promotional videos,” she said.
The situation escalated when she accepted a PR package from A Tribe Called Judah, a project by Funke Akindele, which she said she had communicated in advance.
She alleged that the fallout involved voice notes, accusations of betrayal, and pressure to remove certain posts. In one of the most serious claims, Abike alleged that Abraham made a threatening remark during a private conversation.
“She said if I leave her, she will make sure she ruins my life. “I was scared… I recorded the conversation and sent it to my mum and my manager,” she claimed.
She further alleged losing an acting opportunity after a producer insisted she should not be cast, linking it to the fallout.
“I’m not interested… I don’t want to be involved in any drama… I choose peace,” she said.
Reacting, Toyin Abraham declined to engage in a detailed public exchange, maintaining a restrained stance.
“I have made up my mind never to say anything cos I see her as a daughter… may God bless everyone of us,” she wrote on X.
She, however, disputed parts of Abike’s claims, particularly regarding compensation.
“She was paid 500k for Malaika… nobody will pay an upcoming actress that much,” she said.
In a separate post, she added, “Ever since I made over 1B, I never rest na like this, this level be,” referencing her recent box office milestone.
Abraham’s management also issued a statement, describing some allegations as misleading and insisting that all obligations had been fulfilled.
“Their relationship never degenerated into conflict,” the statement read, adding that the actress “will not be drawn into any form of controversy or manufactured dispute.”
The statement further clarified that Abike had been informed in advance that her Ijakumo scenes would not appear in the final cut, attributing the decision to standard post-production processes.
From a viral moment of goodwill to a mentorship that opened doors, and ultimately a public fallout marked by accusations and denials, the relationship between the two has now effectively ended, with both parties holding firmly to their positions.
Mentorship: Toyin Abraham Responds To Shugaa Allegations is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
