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Nigerian filmmaker and actor Jimmy Rolland has opened up about a disagreement with fellow actor Tunde “Okele” Usman, alleging that the incident brought a movie production worth about ₦1 million to a standstill and left the project unfinished months after filming began.
Rolland made the claims during an appearance on the African A-List podcast, where he detailed the circumstances surrounding the production and explained why he believes the movie could not be completed.
According to the filmmaker, the production was scheduled to take place in Mowe, Ogun State, and featured a cast that included Okele, Anike Ami, and Habeeb Alágbè.
He explained that each actor was engaged under different arrangements to accommodate their busy schedules.
Rolland disclosed that Okele was booked for a two-day shoot at an agreed fee of ₦200,000, while Anike Ami and Habeeb Alágbè had only a few hours available because they were already committed to other productions.
He said careful planning had gone into coordinating the actors’ schedules to ensure filming was completed within the limited time available.
“I gave him ₦200,000 for the two days,” Rolland said while explaining the arrangement.
The filmmaker stated that he travelled to Mowe for the production and instructed members of his crew to secure suitable accommodation for Okele before filming commenced.
According to him, the actor was expected to arrive on set by 9 a.m. on the first day of production but allegedly failed to show up until 1 p.m.
Rolland claimed the delay disrupted the filming schedule, leaving the production team with limited time to complete scenes before other actors had to leave for their next commitments.
He also revealed that he had personally appealed to Anike Ami and Habeeb Alágbè to adjust their schedules in order to accommodate the production.
Anike, he said, had informed him she needed to rest after completing another movie shoot earlier in the day but eventually agreed to spare him three hours because of their relationship.
Rolland claimed that by the time Okele eventually arrived, only two scenes had been completed before attention shifted to filming Anike Ami’s scenes due to her limited availability.
He further alleged that the actor appeared intoxicated when he eventually reported for work.
According to Rolland, Okele became unhappy after production focused on Anike Ami instead of continuing with his scenes.
The filmmaker claimed the actor angrily left the filming location and returned to his hotel before the day’s work had been completed.
Rolland also alleged that Okele became involved in an altercation with hotel staff before refusing to stay in the accommodation originally booked for him.
He said he later paid for another hotel room after the actor reportedly made it a condition for returning to set the following day.
The producer claimed Okele arrived around 10 a.m. on the second day instead of the agreed time and eventually left the location at 5 p.m., despite several scenes remaining unfinished.
According to Rolland, the actor departed before completing nine scheduled scenes, making it impossible for the production to move forward.
He insisted that no member of the cast or crew was owed any outstanding payment during the production.
Rolland said the unfinished scenes have remained in the editing studio for approximately three months because the production could not be completed.
The filmmaker also recalled meeting Okele at another event after the incident, alleging that the actor did not apologise or express regret for what had happened.
“I will say it anywhere I go that he is so arrogant,” Rolland claimed.
He added that their conversation nearly resulted in a physical confrontation because he felt the actor showed no remorse.
Rolland further disclosed that he initially intended to institute legal proceedings against Okele over the matter.
However, he said his lawyer advised against taking the case to court because there was no written contract governing their agreement.
“I really wanted to take the matter up. Everything had been given to my lawyer,” he said.
“But my lawyer told me I could not go ahead because there was no written agreement.”
As of the time of filing this report, Okele has not publicly responded to Rolland’s allegations.
The claims have continued to generate conversations within Nollywood, with many industry observers highlighting the importance of written contracts and professional conduct during film productions.
Watch him speak below…
#JimmyRolland
#Okele
#NollywoodTimes
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