The Theatre Arts and Motion Picture Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) has summoned controversial filmmaker and activist, Yomi Fabiyi, over his latest movie ‘Oko Iyabo’.
Fabiyi, who has been a prominent figure in the ongoing sexual assault trial of his embattled colleague, James Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, had been embroiled in a verbal war on social media with another controversial colleague, Iyabo Ojo, over the suspect’s legal travails.
Fabiyi has been one of Baba Ijesha’s staunch defenders and had vowed to release a movie that will ostensibly chronicle his stance against Iyabo Ojo, hence the title Oko Iyabo (Iyabo’s Hubby).
However, after it’s released on the YouTube channel of a local distributor over the weekend, the film also seemingly directly touches on the ongoing sexual assault case involving Baba Ijesha and his erstwhile associate, Damilola Adekoya (Princess).
In the controversial movie, Fabiyi details what seems like his own version of the “incidents that led to the arrest and trial of his embattled colleague” while also using the real names of the principal actors in the court case for his characters in the film.
But TAMPPAN, the main umbrella body of most Yoruba-speaking thespians in Nigeria, in a statement signed by its Director of Research and Documentation, Yemi Amodu, said the association has invited Fabiyi because of the dissension his film has caused between the body and members of the public.
“The TAMPAN Committee on Ethics, Conflict and Resolution wishes to inform the general public that the association has summoned Mr. Yomi Fabiyi who is the Producer/Director of the controversial film titled “OKO IYABO” to appear before it on Thursday 11th July 2021.
“This invitation becomes very necessary because of the controversy that the subject matter of his film has generated which is against our ethic and virtue.
“Despite that, we realize that the film has sparked off another round of dissension between TAMPAN and the public; this is unacceptable to us and unsuitable to what we represent.
“We hereby implore the general public and the parties concerned to please exercise patience as our eminent association is on top of this issue and will certainly ensure fairness and justice,” the statement read.
In her reaction to the movie, Iyabo Ojo, who has had to apologise to TAMPPAN elders last week for her braah conducts on social media, said the movie portrayed the 14-year-old alleged victim of Baba Ijesha as “a young girl with the mischievous career goal to become a prostitute.
“I’m honestly waiting our elders in the industry to grant another press conference and address the sad issue on a movie that promote abuse and ridicules a girl child, been gross violation of the fundamental human right to dignity and more so, against the child rights law of Lagos State,” she wrote via her official Instagram page on Monday.
She added: “It is tragic to see a movie teaching our children that it is right to have a relationship with an adult.”
The actress accused Fabiyi of using the embattled actor’s plight to his own advantage in a bid to project his own fame.
Ojo called on the TAMPPAN Executives and Elders to take necessary actions in cautioning the producer and every other actor involved in the making of the film.
Meanwhile, the movie is no longer available on YouTube barely 48 hours after its release. While Fabiyi’s many critics claim the movie was taken down after several people reported it to YouTube for dabbling into a an issue that is still in court, Fabiyi said he requested for YouTube to put the movie in “private viewing” so at to allow peace to reign, while insisting that he has done nothing wrong in shooting the film.
