Taye Arimoro vs  Peggy Ovire: What It Reveals About Nollywood’s Troubled Set Culture

Nigerian film enthusiasts weren’t, at first, familiar with Taye Arimoro’s involvement with Peggy Ovire’s Pieces of Love. Guarding details about a film or series production is industry standard. But, on November 11, 2025 that respected secrecy was broken when Arimoro posted a video of an on-set altercation that led to alleged physical assault. Arimoro’s scheduled call time had elapsed but was allegedly prevented from leaving the set. In these publicly available videos, Arimoro, with swollen lips and bleeding gums/mouth and car and properties broken, claimed Ovire and her team deflated his car tyres, detained and assaulted him.

These videos have gained viral attention from Nollywood enthusiasts, industry professionals and everyday Nigerians. Ovire denied the claims, stating Arimoro was the aggressor who assaulted her production manager and driver, and that she only intervened. A circulated CCTV footage further adds to this ongoing issue. After Arimoro’s viral videos, he sought legal support and issued a pre-action notice, demanding a public apology and N100 million in compensation from Ovire for alleged assault, unlawful detention, and breach of his rights. Ovire, through her legal team, rejected the N100 million demand and denied Arimoro’s allegations, labeling them “grossly misleading, selective, and materially false.”

On November 27, the joint body of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) and Association of Movie Producers (AMP) released a statement announcing findings of their previously-established committee. They established Arimoro as the primary aggressor who assaulted the production manager and driver and hereby placed him on an indefinite suspension from all Nollywood productions. This statement wrongly spelt the actor’s name, trivial, but it  questions the validity and truthfulness of the committee’s findings and verdicts. Arimoro has since rejected this verdict stating it doesn’t “capture the facts of the matter in any way, shape or form!” Arimoro’s legal team already responded to this suspension.

Violence and assault among Nollywood filmmakers on set is, however, not entirely unprecedented. A few months ago, in June 2025, veteran actor Femi Branch was reported to have physically assaulted the first Assistant Director on a film set. The report  said that he slapped the first AD in the presence of industry colleagues, an act that not only constitutes a breach of professional etiquettes but also a violation of basic human decency. The offending actor was prevented from leaving the venue and asked to apologize to the victim before filming resumed. As expected, this incident garnered critical reactions on social media, with many people rightly calling out the actor for his unprofessionalism. However, beyond social media outcry, there were no real consequences for the actor’s behaviour. The guilds, associations, and even senior colleagues in the industry appeared to have turned a deaf ear to the incident, a silence that reflects the bias and hypocrisy of bodies responsible for addressing such issues.

In October, production designer Anierobi Courage, also known as Nwa South, was arrested for assaulting Mary Eze, the Head of Makeup and Hair on set. The suspect was caught in a video strangling the victim following a heated argument. A statement made by the Nigeria Film Crew Community revealed the incident, mentioning also that about fifteen crew members were lodged in a single-room apartment, an experience that attests to the lack of standard treatment and regard for crew members on production sets.

The unified response of three major guilds (AGN, DGN, and AMP) on the Arimoro-Ovire case, though faultable, shows a sort of seemingly selective and strong condemnation of physical violence, regardless of who initiated it, setting a clear precedent that such behavior will not be tolerated on sets. The joint investigation and subsequent disciplinary measures by these guilds and professional bodies appears as a selective show of force. If this jointly-approved suspension wasn’t selective, it would have signaled an intent to restore industry order, protect the reputation of Nollywood and raise standards. But, as rightfully critiqued by industry practitioners, the verdict feels selective and bullying inclined. The committee hasn’t presented its independent findings and thus make their verdict questionable. This case is significant in conversations around professional standards and ethics in Nollywood, production safety and protocols and enforcement of self-regulatory bodies within the Nigerian film industry.

But, while this purported suspension is still being contested, the jointly-approved suspension recalls the historic G8 blacklisting. In 2004, the Nigerian film industry blacklisted 8 A-List Nollywood actors, including Genevieve Nnaji, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Emeka Ike, Ramsey Nouah, Nkem Owoh, Stella Damasus and Jim Iyke for charging huge fees and taking multiple roles simultaneously. This suspension cum blacklisting was enforced by film production studios and marketers in Nigeria. These marketers, operating out of Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos and Onitsha in the south-east state of Anambra, largely bankrolled Nollywood in the 1990s and early 2000s.

This monopoly made it possible to effectively control the industry and enforce the ban. But, this isn’t the New Nollywood reality. The Nigerian film industry has grown beyond its neophyte stage when marketers control and dictate the industry’s movement. And, the fragmented nature of the industry, with the existence of Yoruba-language filmmakers, Asaba filmmakers, Kannywood filmmakers and mainstream filmmakers who make films for streaming platforms and theatrical distribution make Arimoro’s suspension unenforceable.

Let it be clear: the joint verdict delivered by these bodies only makes sense if the said parties officially possess memberships. That aside, as previously noted, in a matter involving figures of public interest, the committee should release full details of its investigation, possibly through a press conference. By doing so, they strengthen public trust and earn greater credibility among other industry professionals, ensuring they are taken just as seriously. Situations like this present the opportunity for the guilds to regain lost confidence. Then, beyond the jurisdiction of the guilds, official police investigations and prosecution are expected. Physical violence, in most situations, is a criminal offence that must be met with punitive measures in accordance with the laws of the land.

Nollywood industry practitioners, professionals, filmmakers and Nollywood enthusiasts. These videos and social media conversation is indicative of the care and interest in creating and building industry standards. This level of support from actors and industry professionals for Arimoro’s actions is indicative of a culture of disdain for violence and intimidation in Nollywood.