Nollywood actor Gideon Okeke has accused fellow actor and filmmaker Jim Iyke of negligence during a recent film production, alleging that he sustained an injury on set that required two stitches and took three months to heal.
Okeke shared his experience in an Instagram post on Monday, calling for improved workplace safety standards in Nollywood.
He linked the issue to the recent death of actor Junior Pope, who passed away earlier this year, describing it as a wake-up call for the industry to prioritize safety on set.
“For the benefit of clarity, for the benefit of my new employers, my supporters, and the new year coming— Jnr Pope is one death, too many, in this business. And that only happened this year, 2024,” Okeke wrote.
Reflecting on his own injury, Okeke stated, “Had I gotten anything more than these 2 stitches on the set of Jim Iyke’s production, y’all would still can me a fool, I guess. It’s taken 3 months to heal from that, and still, I am committed to ensuring safety at the Nollywood workplace. Sometimes I’ve asked myself, why was it me who got hurt? I guess it’s so that nobody else gets to take one for the team. But Jim Iyke is running.”
The actor did not specify when the production occurred but accused Iyke of evading accountability for the incident.
As of now, Jim Iyke has not responded to the allegations.
Okeke also criticized the working conditions in Nollywood, which he previously described as “gruesomely slave-like.” The actor, who gained fame as a contestant on the first season of Big Brother Nigeria (BBNaija) in 2006, said he has faced professional backlash in the past for advocating better standards. He revealed that he was blacklisted for five years for “setting a standard for himself.”
Okeke rose to prominence as part of the cast of M-Net’s hit TV series Tinsel in 2008 and has since starred in several notable films, including Relentless and When Love Happens.
