Renowned Yoruba film producer and actor Abraham Cole has strongly refuted allegations of having an affair with fellow actor Ijoba Lande’s estranged wife.
Lande made the accusations in a recently uploaded video, claiming that Cole had ulterior motives for casting his wife in a film.
However, in a recent interview on the YouTube channel Babaibe TV, Cole firmly denied any inappropriate relationship with Dara, Lande’s wife. He clarified that he had known Dara even before meeting Lande and viewed her as a sister due to the respect she always showed him.
“What Ijoba Lande did doesn’t make any sense to me because he’s too small for me to fight with,” Cole stated firmly. “I knew his wife Dara before I met Lande, and she is like a sister to me because she respects me a lot.”
Cole clarified that he had called Dara for a role in one of his movies purely based on her suitability for the part. “I never had sex with Lande’s wife,” he asserted. “I called her for a movie because of her beautiful skin tone.”
The actor-producer recounted that during filming, he had booked a hotel for Lande where he stayed for two days. Cole expressed surprise that Lande then began jokingly accusing him of sleeping with Dara.
“To my surprise, he started telling me jokingly that I slept with his wife, and I told him to stop making such expensive jokes,” Cole said. “I didn’t know that he already said something about me inside the car because if I had known, I wouldn’t have allowed him to take his phone home.”
Cole revealed that Dara typically contacted him only to exchange greetings, and that he had in fact stopped casting her once he realized she was heavily pregnant.
The movie star declared his intention to take legal measures against Lande over the affair allegations. “Lande will surely hear from my lawyer because he’s only trying to defame me,” he warned.
The controversy has sent ripples through the Yoruba movie industry, where both Cole and Lande are well-established figures. With Cole now threatening a lawsuit, the dispute looks set to play out both in the courtroom and the court of public opinion.
Some industry watchers have speculated that professional rivalry could be a factor in the spat between the two actors. Others see it as a reflection of broader tensions and mistrust in the often close-knit world of Nollywood.
For now, Cole remains adamant about defending his reputation against what he considers baseless accusations. “Lande is too small for me to fight with,” he restated, hinting that his Focus remains on his thriving movie career rather than engaging in a prolonged war of words.