Nollywood filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has responded publicly to viral rumours claiming that he is being sued by FirstBank over an alleged ₦5 billion loan obtained to finance his 2022 Netflix film Anikulapo, describing the reports as entirely false.
Reacting in a video shared on Friday 17th July 2026, Afolayan said there was no litigation with the bank and that neither he nor his company owed anyone ₦5 billion. In a moment that showed his characteristic calm under pressure, he even joked that he would happily accept such a facility if any bank was willing to offer it, adding that he would use it for the betterment of the country.
The filmmaker clarified that Anikulapo was produced under his companies Golden Effects Pictures and KAP Motion Pictures in partnership with Netflix as part of a three-picture deal, and that no outstanding debt existed with any party. He also addressed the FirstBank angle directly, stating that the bank remained a friend and collaborator and that no dispute of any kind existed between them.
The rumours had circulated widely on social media, particularly on X, where posts alleged that Afolayan had secured a ₦5 billion facility from FirstBank with a three-year repayment agreement, partially repaid after Netflix acquired the film, and then defaulted, prompting the bank to take legal action. The claims spread quickly across Nollywood circles before Afolayan decided to address them directly on camera.
While he suggested that the people behind the rumours were known to him, he declined to name them, saying only that they were his gurus.
Anikulapo was released on 30th September 2022 and became one of the most culturally discussed Nollywood productions of that year, reaching number one on Netflix with 8.73 million views in under two weeks. It went on to win Best Movie in Africa, Best Writer, and Best Soundtrack at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards in 2023. The film was the second title in a three-picture deal between Afolayan’s production houses and Netflix, which also produced Swallow and Ijogbon. A four-part Netflix series, Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre, followed in March 2024, continuing the story of Saro.
The public denial puts the rumours firmly to rest, at least as far as Afolayan is concerned, and his decision to address the issue on camera rather than through a written statement reflects the directness that has always defined his public communication style.
