Reactions have continued to pour in following the emergence of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage allegedly showing Nollywood actress Peggy Ovire assaulting fellow actor Taye Arimoro on a movie set.
The viral footage, which surfaced online on Thursday morning, appears to contradict Peggy Ovire’s earlier account of the incident, sparking widespread condemnation from social media users and industry observers.
New Daily Prime recalls that on Wednesday, Taye Arimoro took to his Instagram page to accuse Peggy Ovire of unlawful detention, physical assault, and rights violation.
Read Also: Nollywood actor Taye Arimoro alleges assault on Peggy Ovie’s movie set
The actor claimed the incident occurred on Tuesday night at the actress’s movie location, where he had gone to shoot scenes for her latest project.
According to Arimoro, after working beyond the agreed filming time, he attempted to leave the set around 12 a.m. to rest.
However, Peggy allegedly instructed her team to prevent him from leaving, insisting he must first complete “two quick scenes.”
The actor further alleged that the actress’s driver and crew members attacked him under her supervision. In a viral video posted on his Instagram story, Arimoro displayed visible injuries on his gum and lips, claiming his car tyres were deflated to stop him from driving away.
“I said I want to go home, they don’t want me to go home. Guys, look at my mouth, because I said I want to go home. This woman and her people are doing the most,” he lamented in the video.
Reacting to the allegations, Peggy Ovire initially denied wrongdoing, claiming that Taye Arimoro was the aggressor and had allegedly assaulted her driver first. She described the situation as a “misunderstanding blown out of proportion.”
However, the CCTV footage that later surfaced online appeared to contradict her version of events. The video, recorded at the movie location, showed the actress and her driver confronting and physically assaulting Arimoro in the presence of several crew members.
The release of the footage immediately reignited outrage on social media, with many Nigerians condemning Peggy Ovire for allegedly lying about the incident and abusing her position of power.
One X (formerly Twitter) user, @Linda_ify1, wrote:
“Imagine a married woman treating someone’s son, husband, father like that. I wonder how she treats her husband at home. I really felt bad for Taye.”
Another user, @Olisa_Mani, commented:
“So she was the aggressor? Pushing him while her boys deflated his tyres? I hope the movie they were harassing him for is a Netflix Original?”
Similarly, @akwabekie wrote:
“So she lied. Omo, Peggy lied… CCTV has come out, and it shows she even assaulted the actor. It’s like I will stop supporting women. She almost wrecked this guy’s career.”
Others expressed disappointment in the actress for allegedly attempting to manipulate public opinion.
@Symply_Amanosi said:
“I never believed Peggy from the beginning; this just proves that she lied. You want someone to work extra hours past his time and you choose to be aggressive about it.”
Another user, @buzzard737, criticised the estate security for failing to intervene early enough:
“Why did she instruct her team to deflate his tyres? The estate security should have intervened from the onset. This is so wrong.”
@PearlyBold added:
“Peggy, you be ekwensu. See the way she was pushing the guy, and that guy didn’t touch her.”
As of the time of this report, Peggy Ovire has yet to issue a formal response following the release of the CCTV footage.
Industry colleagues and fans are now calling on the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) to investigate the matter, describing the incident as an embarrassment to Nollywood’s professional standards.
Meanwhile, Taye Arimoro has maintained his demand for justice, stating that he would pursue legal action to ensure accountability for the alleged assault.
