Just days after making headlines with a controversial claim that filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele paid him a meagre ₦90,000 for a month-long role in her production, Ijoba Lande retracts his statement.
Kehinde Ganiyu aka Ijoba Lande has walked back his previous comments, issuing a heartfelt apology and clarifying what he now describes as a misunderstood situation.
In an initial report, Lande expressed his shock over the alleged amount paid for his time on set at Amen Estate.
“There was a time Funke Akindele called me for a movie production at Amen Estate, and we spent one month there. I was shocked when she gave me N90,000 after spending one month,” he said in a video.
His story resonated with many budding creatives, echoing long-standing concerns about underpayment and exploitation in the film industry. Lande even advised upcoming actors to avoid idolising celebrities and ensure clear financial agreements are in place before taking on roles.
But now, the narrative has taken a sharp turn.
In a follow-up video posted just a few days after the first, Lande appeared visibly distressed. He prostrated before the camera, pleading for forgiveness and retracting his earlier claim.
According to him, the original video was edited and misrepresented, stating that he initially said ₦190,000, not ₦90,000, but a slip or error caused viewers to latch onto the lower figure.
He also clarified the real sequence of events behind the scenes of the shoot. At one point, Lande claimed, he stopped coming to set due to dissatisfaction with the agreed payment. It was then that Funke Akindele personally reached out to him.
According to him, they had a discussion that led to a revised rate, ranging between ₦55,000 and ₦65,000 per day. He now insists that Akindele treated him with nothing but professionalism and respect.
“She even reached out herself when I had issues showing up,” Lande explained. “And after we talked, my pay was adjusted. I was never disrespected.”
Lande’s apology took an emotional tone as he asked for the public’s help in mending his relationship with the star actress.
At several points during his statement, he expressed fear over legal consequences and pleaded not to be cancelled or blacklisted over what he now calls a misunderstanding.
“Please don’t destroy my life,” he said. “Help me beg her… I’m really sorry.”
He also referenced his role in Funke Akindele’s 2018 family comedy series, My Siblings and I, where he played a recurring role as a gateman, a gig he described with gratitude. This earlier collaboration, he noted, was one of his first opportunities on television.
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