Iyabo Ojo’s Return of Arinzo and Other Movie Premieres That Made Waves Over Dramatic Scenes
- Movie premieres have become a necessary marketing tool and an important part of Nollywood culture
- The celebrity-studded event includes a red carpet, screening of a movie, and media coverage, among others
- However, over the years, some Nigerian movie premieres came with dramatic scenes that made waves on social media
Nollywood has witnessed an increase in movie premieres since the ‘Arabian Night’ theme for The Wedding Party 2 premiere in 2017 captured attention on social media.
A premiere comprises a red-carpet, gala screening of the movie, celebrity appearances, media coverage, and networking opportunities for both the host and everyone in attendance.
Source: Instagram
It majorly serves as a marketing tool to generate buzz and publicity for a movie set to be released at the cinemas or on major streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video.
In Nigeria, once the trailer of a movie is released, the next question from movie lovers and fans would be "When is the premiere?"
A new trend in Nollywood has shown that most movie producers tend to schedule their movies for release during public holidays.
While some movie premieres come and go without any buzz, there are quite a handful that came with dramatic scenes that lasted for days on social media.
Legit.ng in this article lists movie premieres that made waves on social media over dramatic scenes.
1. Return of Arinzo births Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham's renewed feud
Source: Instagram
Iyabo Ojo's premiere for her movie The Return of Arinzo in April 2026 saw a dramatic scene between Nollywood box-office queens Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham.
A viral video from the event showed Funke snubbing Toyin, who greeted her. The unexpected response caught attention on social media after Toyin unfollowed Funke, who also reciprocated.
It lingered for days, with some colleagues and social media users sharing varied opinions about what transpired between the duo at Iyabo Ojo's premiere.
2. Bobrisky wins best dressed female at Eniola Ajao's premiere
Source: Instagram
In 2024, popular crossdresser Bobrisky stole the show at the premiere of actress Eniola Ajao's “Ajanaku: Beast of Two Worlds for his outfit that saw him win the 'best dressed female' award alongside a cash prize of N1 million.
Reacting, several female celebrities and netizens took to social media to condemn it as a mockery of the women present at the event.
The criticism got so intense that the host, Eniola Ajao, had to tender an apology to her fans and Nigerians.
She pleaded with her colleagues, Femi Adebayo, his wife, and Dayo Amusa, who had gotten into a bitter exchange of words online over the matter, to sheath their swords. She also apologised to Bobrisky for the controversy, stressing that she meant no harm.
To amend her mistakes, she named two women as the Best Dressed, with a promise to pay each of them ₦1 million as a token of her sincere apology.
3. Mercy Aigbe's husband Kazim Adeoti's attire at her premiere
Source: Instagram
In 2024, actress Mercy Aigbe's husband and filmmaker, Kazim Adeoti, aka Adekaz, went viral on social media over his outfit at the premiere of her movie, ‘Thin Line’.
Adeoti’s attire, an army-green and gold two-piece outfit with a slightly off-shoulder design, brown track pants, and black boots, sparked conversation about his fashion choice on social media.
While some netizens found the outfit unusual, others deemed it unsuitable.
In response, Kazim made a video with a popular skit maker, Kiekie, in which he expressed frustration over the outfit
The skit depicted showed Aigbe's husband as visibly upset, showing Kiekie, the tailor, and her apprentice pleading for mercy amid widespread comments mocking the outfit.
4. Laide Bakare and Eniola Badmus clash at Eniola Ajao's premiere
Source: Instagram
In 2025, Eniola Ajao's premiere for her movie Owambe Thieves was marked by a dramatic scene between popular actresses Laide Bakare and Eniola Badmus.
A viral video from the event showed the duo exchanging harsh words in public.
The highlight was the moment Laide asked Badmus if she was mentally okay, a question that made Badmus glare at her before walking away.
During the exchange, a man in a suit, who was believed to be Eniola’s bodyguard, tried to calm things down, but Laide remained firm.
The drama escalated to social media, with Laide posting screenshots of private messages between her and Eniola, who reportedly accused the former of sharing an unflattering photo of her online.
In a response, Laide called Eniola ungrateful, claiming she gave her her first big acting role at a time when movie producers didn’t want to work with her because of her weight.
The clash became a topic of discussion on social media for days.
Iyabo Ojo's cinema movie earns double nominations
Legit.ng reported that Iyabo Ojo's cinema movie Labake Olododo earned double nominations on the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) list for 2026.
The movie, released in 2025, earned spots in two categories for Best Indigenous Language West Africa and Best Makeup.
Reacting, Iyabo expressed appreciation on behalf of herself and her crew while describing the nomination as a win for her and her fellow nominees.
Source: Legit.ng
