Nigerian actress Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi has sparked mixed reactions following a recent appreciation post made on her Instagram page, in which she thanked her fans for their overwhelming support of her new film, *Alakada Bad and Boujee*. The film has broken box office records, and Toyin took to her verified Instagram account to express gratitude to her fans for their dedication.
In the post, Toyin praised her supporters, stating, “With an overwhelming outpouring of love, kindness, and compassion from fans all across the country, we were able to make this as our opening weekend figure. Thank you for watching and supporting us.” She also emphasized the support she received without any expectations of gifts or inducements at the box office.
Toyin’s comments, while expressing gratitude, seemed to subtly shade fellow actresses Funke Akindele and Mercy Aigbe, who have been known to offer gifts and incentives to encourage people to buy tickets for their films. Although Toyin did not mention any names directly, many followers interpreted her words as a reference to the practice of using incentives to boost ticket sales.
She continued, “Without expecting gift or inducement at the box office to buy our tickets, you’ve stood by us, and we are deeply grateful.” She further added, “However, we’ve learned that Alakada Bad and Boujee is showing in many cinemas. Nigerians, thank you from the bottom of my heart! This support means the world to me. Please, let’s keep the momentum going—spread the word far and wide, Alakada Bad and Boujee is showing in all the cinemas. I love you all endlessly.”
Despite the praise, Toyin’s message quickly attracted criticism from some netizens who felt she was unnecessarily throwing shade at other actresses. Many pointed out that Toyin herself has engaged in similar marketing tactics in the past, including meet-and-greet events to promote her films.
One Instagram user, princess_aishax, commented, “Which one is without expecting a gift again. I hope you can market your project without using some unnecessary words. You’re a good filmmaker. Please you need to work on yourself. I say this respectfully. Massive sales.”
Another user, abiwomonica, added, “You always have a way of throwing shades, later you’ll start writing yeye epistle (oni epistle isonu).”
Some critics also reminded Toyin of her past actions, with karfyre writing, “Without expecting gift and inducement yet u did d same last year. Women and envy are 5 and 6. Everyone is staying on their lane abeg.”
A particularly pointed comment came from someone who questioned Toyin’s integrity by asking, “So all the meet and greet is not inducement? Dey play.”
