Renowned filmmaker Lere Paimo, popularly known as “Eda Onile Ola,” made an urgent appeal on Wednesday to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye, and other prominent individuals in Nigeria, seeking their assistance in a dispute concerning his long-established film “Ogbori Elemosho.”
This appeal was made during a press conference held in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
The classic Yoruba film “Ogbori Elemosho,” featuring the legendary actor Paimo, gained substantial fame and was a significant release in the early 1980s. However, some sources suggest that it was a pivotal work from the 1960s that helped build his reputation and established a historical drama genre in Nollywood.
Paimo firmly asserts that he is the original producer of “Ogbori Elemosho,” which he regards as crucial to his career and legacy. He stated, “The film earned me national recognition, including the award of the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, and contributed to my chieftaincy title of Are Arobajo of Ogbomoso, conferred by the late Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oyewumi Ajagungbade II.”
He recounted that the current Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, had previously approached him with a proposal to remake “Ogbori Elemosho” and sought information on the cost implications. The monarch estimated the project at about N100 million and suggested that the production could exceed that budget, requesting changes to the script while promising to follow up.
Paimo alleged that in October 2025, individuals visited his residence claiming they had received approval from the Soun of Ogbomoso to remake the film. “They told me they did not need my permission to remake the movie and that they only wanted to give me a ‘gift’ for the work,” he stated.
He further accused the group of subsequently depositing N7.5 million into his bank account, a move that his children described as manipulation and robbery. “Following their advice, I immediately returned the money to the group,” he said.
Paimo explained that his legal counsel later issued a cease-and-desist letter to the studio, warning them against proceeding with the remake without his explicit approval. Despite this, he emphasized that the parties involved insisted they had the monarch’s backing and allegedly threatened that legal action would not bring him justice.
Describing the situation as an attempt to undermine his legacy, the veteran Nollywood actor revealed that the original production of “Ogbori Elemosho” came at a great personal cost, leaving him heavily indebted and leading to the seizure of his car at that time.
He added, “This work was meant to be a benefit to my children and me, but powerful individuals are attempting to take it away from me. I want to appeal to Governor Makinde, Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the RCCG, the Commissioner of Police in this state, and sons and daughters of Ogbomoso at home and abroad to intervene in the matter.”
Paimo also called on well-meaning Nigerians to help protect him from what he described as injustice in his old age, expressing concern that those involved might be linked to recent rumors of his death circulating on social media.
When contacted by The PUNCH, the Public Relations Officer to the Soun, Peter Olaleye, commented, “The issue, you know, is an in-house matter; Baba (Eda Onile Ola) is one of the Chiefs in Ogbomoso. Baba was contacted when the story was to be released. He was contacted, and he was officially written to. The crew even visited his house.
“The issue is that of Ogbomoso, and every bona fide son and daughter of Ogbomoso is entitled to the story. So, the story belongs to Ogbomoso, and the story they are even making now is not his own story. It is a new story entirely. The bone of contention is that it’s an in-house matter.”
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