Yomi Fabiyi Invites TAMPAN’s Wrath On His New Movie Production

Nigerian actor, Yomi Fabiyi, has got himself into a fix after releasing his new movie titled ‘Oko Iyabo’ (Iyabo’s husband).

The film centres around fellow Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, who faces accusations of inappropriate relations with a minor.

The underage person in question is the 14 year old foster daughter of actress and comedienne, Damilola Adekoya, popularly known as Princess.

Just as the case unfolded, actresses like Iyabo Ojo and Nkechi Blessing spoke in support of the minor. However, Yomi Fabiyi took sides with Baba Ijesha and released the movie a few days after Omiyinka was released on bail.

Baba Ijesha: The Saga Continues

Adekoya reported Baba Ijesha at Sabo Police Station and he was arrested on 22 April by the Lagos State Police.

The case was transferred to the Gender Unit of the State CID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, for scrutiny and investigation. Omiyinka is reported to have admitted guilt to the crime, as he was also caught on CCTV.

The matter has since generated a lot of heated conversations within Nollywood, both online and offline. Most actors, though surprised by the allegations, have openly criticized the act.

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However, Yomi Fabiyi expressed an unpopular notion, and things escalated. He allegedly requested that the CCTV footage be made available on social media. Fabiyi opined that people should not be too quick to judge.

Needless to say, his opinion did not go down well in some quarters, with many calling for the immediate prosecution of Baba Ijesha.

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The ongoing saga also brought about a heated exchange between Fabiyi and prominent actress, Iyabo Ojo. The latter condemned the former on social media saying, “You are foolish”. Ojo called him out, lambasting him for demanding the general release of the CCTV footage.

Baba Ijesha was initially granted bail on May 17, 2021 due to the intervention of the Lagos State Judiciary members in collaboration with the State’s Ministry of Justice to decongest police stations. But he was unable to meet all the conditions of his bail, and thus remained in custody.

On June 16, 2021, Baba Ijesha was arraigned at a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Yaba where he pleaded not guilty. Eight days later on June 24, Baba Ijesha was released on bail by a Special Offences Court in Ikeja.

About Yomi Fabiyi’s New Movie

Fabiyi’s new movie has characters named ‘Princess’ and ‘Iyabo’ but Yomi insists that he isn’t referring to Adekoya or Ojo. The story depicts an older man who falls victim of a young lover.

‘Oko Iyabo’ is produced and directed by Yomi Fabiyi. Some notable actors in Nollywood such as Adedeji Aderemi and Lola Afolayan have roles in the movie.

TAMPAN’S Reaction Towards ‘Oko Iyabo’

The Theatre Art and Motion Picture Practitioners Association Of Nigeria (TAMPAN) has summoned Yomi Fabiyi over this new movie. In a statement, TAMPAN claims that the controversy generated by the movie goes against the ethics of the association.

In a scathing clapback, Fabiyi states that he is within his rights to use his creative talent to portray trending issues. All members of TAMPAN who appeared in the movie have also been summoned to appear before the Committee on July 24.

Iyabo Ojo made a long post on Instagram, saying “I’m honestly waiting on our elders in the industry to grant another press conference and address the sad issue on a movie that promotes abuse and ridicules a girl child, being a gross violation of the fundamental human right to dignity and more so, agaisnt the child rights law of Lagos state.”

Yomi Fabiyi Brags From England

Yomi Fabiyi is currently camping out in the county of Essex in England. He has been heard saying that TAMPAN have abused his rights and freedom of expression. He also feels that the association did not have his back and the committee’s decision to suspend him indefinitely was hasty. Furthermore, he intends to challenge the board of trustees as he believes they have not followed protocol.

From his hideaway, Fabiyi brags about the 19 lawyers that represented him in court. He says confidently that Iyabo Ojo has ruined Princess. And that the saga is about to get even messier, as he alleges that evidence will implicate Princess as being negligent towards the child.

In a bizarre twist of events, the leadership of TAMPAN chastised Iyabo Ojo and Nkechi Blessing for their social media outbursts against the union. They barred film directors from their association from working with the two actresses.

Ojo has since made a public apology. She writes,

“Our big daddies @adebayo.salami @princejidekosoko @realyinkaquadri on behalf of @nkechiblessingsunday my darling aburo and my humble self, we apologise to you all. We are sorry for getting you upset, you’re our elders and leaders, we respect you, we’re humbled before you, we will forever appreciate you and honour you. It’s all Peace and Love.”

Iyabo Ojo apologises to TAMPAN via post on Instagram

The movie in question has spurred different sentiments in the hearts of Nigerians. Many actors including Femi Branch see the movie as a bad portrayal of the incident.

It will be interesting to see how thing plays out. As long as the child is safe and justice is served, there is nothing to worry about.