What started as a chance act of generosity has unravelled into one of Nollywood’s most talked-about fallouts since three years, as actress, Toyin Abraham, and her former protégé, Abike Shugaa, now offer sharply different accounts of their fractured relationship.
In a lengthy video uploaded on YouTube on Friday with now over 100k views, Influencer Abike, born Pelumi Olawuni, laid out her story step-by-step, from her early struggles to the eventual breakdown, insisting she was finally ready to speak.
“I know this video is long overdue, it’s been over three years.
“Nobody can tell my story the way I experienced it,” she said.
Before Nollywood, Abike described a life of juggling survival and ambition, working as a TV presenter, selling thrift clothes, and teaching herself fashion design.
After saving up to buy a sewing machine, she shared the moment online, a post that went viral and caught Abraham’s attention.
“She said, ‘Hello, I want to be your friend. How much is the machine?’” Abike recalled.
According to her, Abraham sent N50,000 shortly after.
Clarifying a widely circulated narrative, she said, “She didn’t buy me my machine. I bought it myself… she supported me after seeing the post.”
Their first in-person meeting came in March 2021 during an audition with Scene One Tv now FAAN Tv owned by Funke Akindele, then her friends told her that they saw the actress around.
Abike said she reached out immediately to thank Abraham and was invited over.
“That was the first time I met her physically,” she said.
Soon after, opportunities followed. Abraham cast her in Ago Alago, a Yoruba movie marking her first major acting role, while she also secured appearances in projects linked to Funke Akindele’s production space, including Jenifa’s Diary.
Abike described this phase as pivotal, noting that she remained “genuinely grateful” for the exposure.
As their relationship grew, Abike said she frequently visited Abraham, not socially, but for work, particularly TikTok content tied to brand deals.
“Anytime you see me in her house, it was to shoot content.
“I’m not a user,” she said.
She disclosed that she typically received transport support of N10,000 to N15,000 for those sessions.
On acting roles, Abike provided specific figures, “For Agoalago, I was on set for about two weeks… I was paid N50,000.”
She added that she earned another N50,000 for two scenes in Ijakumo.
However, she claimed those scenes were later removed without her knowledge.
“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.
Despite the disappointment, she said she chose to remain silent at the time.
Parallel to her acting career, Abike said she was building her own income streams through content creation and brand promotions, including collaborations linked to Funke Akindele.
“I was already getting paid in dollars,” she said, disclosing earnings of $600 and $800 for promotional campaigns tied to different projects.
She described this period as one of independence, noting she was not reliant on a single source of income even while working closely with Abraham.
The influencer also alleged that the actress started policing her social media interactions with her colleagues, asking questions on why she is engaging some particular accounts, hinting at inheriting battles.
The relationship, she said, began to deteriorate during the promotion of Malaika, where she played a supporting role.
Abike stated that she was paid N500,000 for the project and contributed heavily to its publicity.
“We shot over 100 promotional videos,” she said.
Tensions escalated when she accepted a PR package from Funke Akindele for her “A Tribe Called Judah”, a decision she claimed to have communicated beforehand, and she was permitted to support colleagues at the cinema for a brief period.
According to her, Abraham viewed the move as disloyal.
“That was when everything changed,” she said.
She alleged that the fallout included voice notes, accusations of betrayal, and pressure to take down certain posts.
“I tried to explain, but she didn’t listen,” Abike added.
In one of the most serious parts of her account, Abike alleged that Abraham made a threatening remark during a private moment.
“She said if I leave her, she will make sure she ruin my life.
“I was scared… I recorded the conversation and sent it to my mum and my manager,” Abike claimed.
She also alleged that she later lost an acting opportunity after a producer allegedly insisted she should not be cast, a claim she linked to the fallout.
Abike said there were indirect attempts to mend the relationship, including through skit maker, Kamo State, who she said reached out after speaking with Abraham.
“She said we should make a TikTok video so people would know she’s not angry,” Abike recalled.
However, she declined, “I’m not interested… I don’t want to be involved in any drama… I choose peace,” she said.
Reacting, Toyin Abraham declined to engage in a detailed public exchange.
“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, however, disputed aspects of Abike’s claims, particularly around compensation.
“She was paid 500k for Malaika… nobody will pay an upcoming actress that much,” she said.
In a separate post, she added, “Ever since I made over 1B, I never rest na like this, this level be,” making reference to her recent box office milestone
Abraham’s management also issued a statement on Friday, describing some of the allegations as misleading and insisting all obligations were fulfilled.
“Their relationship never degenerated into conflict,” the statement read, adding that the actress “will not be drawn into any form of controversy or manufactured dispute.”
It further clarified that Abike was informed beforehand that her Ijakumo scenes would not appear in the final cut, attributing it to standard post-production decisions.
From a viral moment of goodwill to a mentorship that opened doors, and finally to a public fallout marked by accusations and denials, the relationship between the two women has now effectively ended.
While Abike insists she is reclaiming her narrative, Abraham has drawn a line under the matter.
