Popular Nollywood actress Wumi Toriola has finally bowed to pressure and retraced her steps after receiving intense backlash for publicly calling out her senior colleague, Afeez Owo, who is married to fellow actress Mide Martins.
The controversy began when Afeez Owo granted an interview where he was asked to share his thoughts about Wumi Toriola’s personality both on-screen and off-screen. In his response, Afeez described Wumi as someone who is naturally calm but tends to react fiercely whenever provoked. According to him, she does not go out of her way to cause trouble but is not the type to tolerate nonsense either.
However, Wumi Toriola did not take kindly to his remarks. In a swift and fiery response, she dragged Afeez online, questioning whether she should “rent a husband to hold the mic and spoil things.” She further criticised him for engaging in unnecessary drama despite his status as a respected senior in the industry. Nonetheless, she added that she still respected him in spite of what she described as his “unfortunate behaviours.”
Her outburst quickly triggered massive reactions across social media, with many netizens insisting that Afeez Owo had said nothing wrong and that Wumi’s response only proved his point. The backlash intensified as trolls flooded her comment section, accusing her of disrespect and unnecessary aggression towards a colleague who spoke respectfully about her.
Faced with the wave of criticism, Wumi eventually softened her stance. In an Instagram video filmed from inside an airplane, she appeared visibly calm and reflective. In the clip, she described herself as “a repentant child,” thanking fans and critics for calling her out and promising to do better moving forward. She acknowledged that their tough love had helped her reflect on her actions and responses.
“The face of a repentant child. It is still all love. Thank you all for the backlash. Omo ta ba fe lan bawi [Translation: We correct a child only because we love her],” she captioned the post, suggesting that she had taken the criticism as constructive feedback.
Her video has since gone viral, drawing mixed reactions. While some applauded her humility in accepting her mistake, others expressed doubts about whether her repentance would be long-lasting. Still, many of her fans dropped words of encouragement, urging her to rise above online drama and focus on her craft.
Watch the videos below …
So this interview later caused kasala between Wumi Toriola and Afeez Owo 😳😳😳. Did Afeez Owo say anything wrong? Please be objective 🙏 pic.twitter.com/DaeE5zZZCN
— 𝓔𝓵𝓾𝓭𝓪𝔂𝓸 𝓑𝓲𝓫𝓲𝓽𝓪𝔂𝓸 ♥︎ (@eludayo_1) September 2, 2025