Actor Taye Arimoro is demanding N100 million and a public apology from actress and producer Peggy Ovire, following what he described as a physical assault on a movie set.
The dispute reportedly happened on November 11, when Arimoro tried to leave the set after his call time ended.
According to the actor, “Peggy physically blocked his vehicle and insisted he took part in two additional scenes.” He claims the confrontation escalated, leaving him “detained and assaulted by the actress and her team.”
Peggy, however, denied the claims, saying Taye was the first aggressor. She alleged he “punched the production manager three times” and also assaulted her driver, leaving him bleeding from the ear. She maintained that the request for him to film “just two quick scenes” was reasonable.
In a legal letter shared late Tuesday on Instagram, Taye’s lawyers described the treatment as “unlawful, inhuman, and degrading,” stating it caused him “emotional trauma, psychological stress, and loss of earnings.”
The letter made two clear demands: a public apology – “That you record and post a public video apology acknowledging the wrongful acts committed and the harm caused to our Client… The apology is to be posted permanently on your verified Instagram account” – and payment of N100,000,000 (One hundred million naira) as damages.”
The letter warned that failure to comply within seven days would force Taye to pursue legal action.
The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has since condemned the incident, emphasising: “No actor, under any circumstances, should be subjected to physical assault, intimidation, or any form of abuse in the course of professional engagement.” The Guild is investigating the matter and has called on the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) to take disciplinary action.
Taye has described the ordeal as humiliating, saying: “I said I want to go home, but they don’t want me to … Why would you block me? I can’t go to my house again?” He also claimed his tyres were deflated to prevent him from leaving and that he sustained injuries to his lips, with a damaged front tooth as evidence.
