Olaiya Igwe: Viral Clip Was Just Acting

Veteran Nollywood actor Ebun Oloyede, widely known as Olaiya Igwe, has firmly dismissed circulating claims that he is ill, clarifying that a widely shared video of him being helped into a house was a staged scene from a film production.

The footage, recorded by colleague Kayode “Paragon” Akindina and featuring other actors including Malvins Tokunbo on location, showed Olaiya appearing frail and requiring assistance as he entered a building. Shared online around 10 September 2026, the clip quickly fuelled speculation and concern among fans who feared the popular Yoruba actor was battling a serious health challenge.

Olaiya responded in a video statement, stressing that he remains healthy and that the sequence was part of a movie for filmmaker Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Mr Latin. In the scene, he portrayed a character recently discharged from hospital and still recovering, with “children” supporting him. He said he committed fully to the role so that the performance would feel authentic.

“May God not allow us to be sick. Anyone who does this kind of work should be able to play any role,” he stated. “It is true that I have seen some things on the internet where some people think their father is sick. I did exactly what the director asked me to do.”

He continued: “As a good actor, you must perform your role perfectly, so that they can know that you tried. Whoever likes can call you a fantastic actor; another person may criticise you. You cannot satisfy everybody. And for those who are genuinely concerned, please relax. There’s no problem. I was performing my role; as you know, I am a versatile actor. We were acting in a film for Mr Latin. I acted there as I returned from the hospital. It showed that my children were taking care of me because I was still recovering. When I entered, I had to play the role as if the sickness was heavy on me.”

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Olaiya thanked fans who expressed genuine concern while noting mixed reactions online, including some unkind comments. He prayed that those who wished him well would be protected from harm.

Independent checks, including by Legit.ng, found no statements from the actor or those close to him confirming any current health problems before his clarification. The episode underscores how easily out-of-context production footage can spark online rumours in an era of rapid social media sharing.

Olaiya Igwe has a long career as an actor, producer and director in Yoruba cinema and has previously addressed health-related speculation, including after kidney-stone surgery several years ago. His latest statement aims to put the latest wave of concern to rest and reaffirm that the viral images were simply the result of committed screen work.