Chaos on Nollywood Set as Femi Branch Accused of Assaulting Assistant Director

A Nollywood film production descended into chaos recently after veteran actor Femi Branch was accused of assaulting the First Assistant Director (1st A.D.) during what was meant to be the second-to-last day of shooting.

The alleged incident occurred in the late afternoon, between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM, on the eighth day of a nine-day shoot. The cast and crew were preparing to wrap up filming at a particular location before relocating for the final scenes. Tensions reportedly erupted during a routine camera setup involving two units—one inside and the other outside the filming location.

According to the 1st A.D., problems started when the director abruptly began rolling on Camera A without notifying the rest of the crew. At the time, both the Director of Photography (DP) and the A.D. were still inside adjusting Camera B.

“I was knocking on the door so the DP could step out to check the frame,” the Assistant Director recalled. “Then Femi Branch shouted that filming was in progress, and I asked what exactly they were filming when the DP and I were still inside.”

The disagreement escalated into a heated exchange. Branch allegedly insulted the A.D., saying his “head is not correct.” When the A.D. asserted his right to pause filming if necessary, the situation took a violent turn.

“He stormed in, shouting, and I told him he couldn’t intimidate me,” the A.D. said. “That’s when he hit me.”

The confrontation left the crew stunned, many of whom immediately sided with their colleague. Although the team proceeded to the next location at Lekki Conservation Centre, filming was halted. In a rare collective action, the crew refused to continue unless Branch issued an apology.

“When he showed up at the new location and was asked to apologize, he refused and tried to leave,” the Assistant Director added. “The crew locked the gate to stop him from walking out.”

Faced with rising production costs and time pressure, the Executive Producer was forced to step in. Eventually, Branch apologized to both the A.D. and the entire team, allowing production to resume.

The incident has ignited broader conversations in Nollywood about on-set conduct, respect among professionals, and the need to ensure safe working environments. Many industry insiders have praised the crew for standing up against what they described as unacceptable behavior.

As of now, Femi Branch has not publicly addressed the incident. Though filming has concluded, the controversy continues to ripple through the industry.