“Did you guys work for me?” Actress Bimbo Ademoye Resists Extortion from ‘Area Boys’

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Summary: In April 2026, Nollywood actress Bimbo Ademoye confronted a group of street thugs who disrupted her film set and demanded a forced settlement. 

In April 2026, actress and filmmaker Bimbo Ademoye was filming an outdoor scene when a group of men approached her movie set and demanded money, claiming they were entitled to payment for allowing the shoot in their neighbourhood. 

The confrontation, captured on video by user Usmanashafe, shows Bimbo Ademoye refusing to comply with the extortion demand.

When the men aggressively demanded settlement money, the actress made clear that while she is willing to support or give money to locals voluntarily, she will not tolerate forced demands. 

“Did you guys work for me?” she asked them directly. She informed the group that she is familiar with street life and would not be intimidated by their tactics.

When one of the men claimed he did not come to beg, Bimbo shot back that he was indeed begging and being overly proud about it. The confrontation escalated when one of the thugs threatened to shut off her camera. 

The incident went viral on social media, reigniting a conversation that has long simmered in the Nigerian entertainment industry: the recurring problem of street thugs, known as “area boys,” disrupting film productions to extort money.

What Ademoye confronted is not an isolated incident but a recurring pattern across Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, where local thugs regularly approach outdoor film sets, demand forced settlements, and threaten to destroy expensive equipment unless paid. 

These extortion tactics have become so common that many production companies have begun avoiding public streets entirely, instead choosing to shoot only in private, gated estates.