Actress Toyin Abraham has denied claims circulating online about payments made to her former protégé Abike Shugaa in following a viral video in which Shugaa spoke about her experience working with her.
Toyin, in a post on X on Friday, said she never paid the sums being speculated, insisting the figures shared online were inaccurate.
In the video, Shugaa recounted how she was initially grateful for early opportunities, saying, “After the job, she paid me 50,000 Naira immediately. She didn’t owe me.”
She described the payment as encouraging at the time, adding, “And I was sincerely grateful for that. Cause I… needed the money.”
Shugaa also alleged that she was later left out of the final version of Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper despite participating in filming and promotion.
“I never paid anyone such, I paid 500k for Malaika and 50k for two scenes in Ijakumo and the director removed it, pls I won’t say a word,” Abraham wrote.
In the video, Shugaa said she featured in a few scenes and was paid for her work.
“I shot, I think I shot about two scenes… she paid me 50,000 naira for the two scenes,” she said.
She added that she also promoted the project heavily, noting, “We shot about 20 videos. I can’t remember.”
Shugaa said she expected a major role in the film but later discovered she did not appear in the final cut.
“When I saw the movie, I didn’t see myself in it,” she said, adding that she was told her scenes were removed.
She also said the situation affected her emotionally and that she chose not to confront Abraham at the time.
“I cried about it to my own family. I didn’t say anything to her,” she said.
The video has sparked discussions online, with social media users divided between those questioning the payment claims and others defending Abraham.
Shugaa, who previously featured in Malaika, was once seen as part of Abraham’s close creative circle.
The relationship between both women is believed to have changed over time amid Shugaa’s involvement in other industry projects, including collaborations linked to Funke Akindele.
Both women unfollowed each other on Instagram around January 2024 following earlier speculation of tension within their professional relationship. The move was widely reported after checks showed they were no longer following each other, although neither of them publicly confirmed the reason for the action at the time.
As of press time, Shugaa has not issued any further statement beyond the viral video, while Abraham’s post on X remains her only public response.
