Filmmaker Olaide Olabanji has claimed that actress Mercy Aigbe, whom he helped introduce to Nollywood, later cut ties with him and attempted to sabotage his professional connections.
In a recent interview with Oyinmomo TV, Olabanji, CEO of LAIBAN Film International, recounted how he first met Aigbe in 2004 through his younger sister. He said he identified her potential while she was working in a shop near his sister’s home and decided to mentor her without charging for the introduction.
He also discovered that one of his equipment suppliers in Yaba was Aigbe’s brother, who asked him to assist her in pursuing acting.
“I brought Mercy Aigbe into the film industry in 2004. She was living close to my sibling in Ifako. I could have charged her, but I chose not to,” Olabanji said.
“Later, I learned her brother was involved and requested I help her pursue acting.”
Olabanji expressed frustration that some successful actresses forget those who helped them rise. He alleged that Aigbe later attempted to block his access to influential contacts, including a mutual contact in the UK who had invited him to produce two films. According to Olabanji, Aigbe tried to sever the professional connection, though he eventually produced the projects, which turned a profit.
“I helped you, but you repay with hostility. Ladies often forget the support they receive. It seemed she did not want me to exist professionally,” he said.
“Despite attempts to block me, I completed the films, and they were successful. Let us just be good; success shouldn’t come at the expense of others.”
Olaide Olabanji began producing films in 1993 and is known for titles such as Boya Lemo (2002) and Sebeeyan Ni (2005).
