Renowned filmmaker and actor Lere Paimo, famously known as “Eda Onile Ola,” has appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and prominent Nigerians to intervene as he claims he is being cheated over his classic film Ogbori Elemosho.
The appeal came during a press briefing held on Wednesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Ogbori Elemosho, a legendary Yoruba film starring Paimo, gained widespread acclaim after its release, which some sources trace to the early 1980s, while others suggest the work dates back to the 1960s.
The film is considered a cornerstone in Paimo’s career, contributing to the establishment of historical drama in Nollywood.
Paimo emphasized that he is the original producer of the film, which has played a pivotal role in his professional legacy. “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 said.
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He recalled that the current Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, had previously approached him with a proposal to remake the film, requesting details on the cost. “He estimated the project at about N100 million, after which the monarch suggested that the production could go beyond that budget and requested changes to the script, promising to revert,” Paimo explained.
The veteran filmmaker alleged that in October 2025, a group of individuals visited his home claiming they had received authorization from the Soun to remake the movie. “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 added that the group later transferred N7.5 million into his account, which his children described as an attempt at manipulation and theft. “Following their advice, I immediately returned the money to the group,” Paimo said.
He also said his lawyer issued a cease-and-desist notice to the studio, warning against proceeding without his consent. However, Paimo claims the parties involved insisted they had the monarch’s backing and threatened that legal action would not protect him.
Describing the alleged scheme as a threat to his legacy, Paimo said producing the original Ogbori Elemosho had come at great personal cost, leaving him heavily in debt and resulting in the temporary seizure of his car. “This work was meant to be a benefit to my children and me, but powerful individuals are attempting to take it away from me,” he said.
He urged public figures and well-meaning Nigerians to help protect him from what he described as injustice at his old age. “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 said, adding that he suspects some of the individuals involved may be connected to recent rumours of his death circulating online.
When The PUNCH reached out to the Public Relations Officer of the Soun, Peter Olaleye, he described the matter as internal. “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,” Olaleye explained.