Abike Shugaa Breaks Silence on Fallout With Toyin Abraham Over Funke Akindele Movie

The falling out between Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham and her former protégé, influencer Abike Shugaa (born Olawuni Oluwapelumi), has become one of the most talked-about stories in Nollywood this year — and both women are telling very different versions of what happened.

In a lengthy YouTube video, Abike traced the relationship from its beginnings to its collapse, describing a journey that started with a viral sewing machine post and ended with claims of threats and professional sabotage.

How it began

Abraham reached out after seeing Abike’s viral post about buying a sewing machine, asking, “Hello, I want to be your friend. How much is the machine?” Abike was clear about one thing: “She didn’t buy me my machine. I bought it myself… she supported me after seeing the post.” Abraham later sent N50,000.

They met in person in March 2021 at a Scene One TV audition (Funke Akindele’s platform). From there, opportunities opened up. Abike landed a role in Ago Alago and appeared in Jenifa’s Diary. She said she remained “genuinely grateful” for the exposure.

Where it went sideways

According to Abike, most visits to Abraham’s house were work-related — shooting TikTok content for brand deals, with transport support of N10,000 to N15,000 per session. Her acting earnings? N50,000 for Ago Alago (about two weeks on set). Another N50,000 for two scenes in Ijakumo — scenes that were later cut without telling her.

“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.

Things deteriorated during the Malaika promotion. Abike said she was paid N500,000 and shot over 100 promotional videos. The breaking point came when she accepted a PR package from A Tribe Called Judah, a Funke Akindele project. She says she told Abraham in advance, but the fallout still came — voice notes, accusations of betrayal, and pressure to remove posts.

“She said she’d ruin my life”

Abike’s most serious claim: during a private conversation, Abraham told her, “If I leave her, she will make sure she ruins my life.” Abike says she recorded the conversation and sent it to her mother and manager. She also alleged losing an acting opportunity after a producer, apparently influenced by the fallout, insisted she should not be cast.

“I’m not interested… I don’t want to be involved in any drama… I choose peace,” Abike said.

Abraham’s response

Toyin Abraham has kept her response measured. “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 disputed claims about low compensation: “She was paid 500k for Malaika… nobody will pay an upcoming actress that much.”

Abraham’s management issued a statement calling some allegations misleading and insisting all obligations were fulfilled. They said Abike was informed ahead of time that her Ijakumo scenes would not make the final cut, attributing the decision to standard post-production processes.

From a moment of viral goodwill to a mentorship that opened doors, to a very public falling out — both sides have drawn their lines.

Sources: The Whistler, Daily Post, GistReel