Nollywood actor and content creator, Kehinde Ganiyu, popularly known as Ijoba Lande, has issued a heartfelt public apology to filmmaker Funke Akindele, days after accusing her of paying him only N90,000 for a month-long role on her movie set.
In a trending Instagram video posted on Friday, Lande went on his knees and prostrated before the camera, begging Akindele and the public for forgiveness.
“Please help me. Don’t let me end up in jail. Help me beg Funke Akindele,” he pleaded emotionally, denying any intention to damage her reputation.
The apology comes after widespread backlash from fans and industry colleagues over his initial claims, which many deemed disrespectful to the award-winning actress and producer. Lande had earlier alleged in a viral video that he received just N90,000 for spending weeks on set — a statement that sparked outrage online.
However, Lande now says the controversial clip was misleading and heavily edited. According to him, he originally mentioned being paid N190,000, not N90,000, but video editors maliciously cut the footage to misrepresent his words.
“The video people are sharing was edited. That’s not how I originally recorded it. I never had any intention to tarnish her image. She didn’t wrong me,” he said.
Describing the editors as “wicked,” the comic actor expressed fear that the scandal could destroy his career and lead to a defamation lawsuit.
“We even talked about the great things Funke Akindele has done in the industry,” he added. “Please don’t let this ruin my life. What if Funke Akindele sues me? Where would I find the money?”
Ijoba Lande also recalled his past collaboration with Akindele, stating that he featured as a gateman in her 2018 TV series My Siblings and I.
As of the time of this report, Funke Akindele has yet to issue an official response.
