Actor Taye Arimoro Reacts To AGN's Suspension And Demands A Retraction And Apology

AGN, DGN, and AMP jointly suspended actor Taye Arimoro after an alleged altercation on colleague Peggy Ovire's movie set.
Taye has rejected the suspension, calling it misleading and damaging.....
His pre-litigation letter demands for a retraction of the guilds’ statement, public apology with equal visibility, and ₦100 million compensation for reputational and professional harm.
 He warns of legal action if the guilds fail to comply.

Dear Presidents,

DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE RETRACTION AND PUBLIC APOLOGY FOR THE PURPORTED JOINT DECISION OF DGN, AGN AND AMP AGAINST MR. TAIWO ARIMORO DATED.

We are Solicitors to MR. TAIWO ARIMORO, also known as TAYE ARIMORO, a professional actor of high standing (hereinafter referred to as "our Client"), on whose firm instructions we write to you on the above subject.
Our Client has forwarded to us, the joint statement/decision issued by the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), and the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) on 27th November 2025, purporting to make findings and impose disciplinary sanctions against our Client over an incident on the set of a movie titled - Pieces of Love.

We are compelled to state unequivocally that the actions and decisions of the Directors Guild of Nigeria, Actors Guild of Nigeria, and Association of Movie Producers in relation to our Client are procedurally improper, legally indefensible, and constitutionally void on the following grounds:

1. FAILURE TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY OUR CLIENT
The failure of the DGN, AGN and AGN to correctly identify our Client, repeatedly referring to him as "Taiye Ayimoro", instead of his proper name, "Taiwo Arimoro", is a fundamental error that strikes at the heart of the credibility of the purported joint decision of the DGN, AGN and AMP. This misidentification demonstrates a clear lack of diligence and seriousness in the investigative processes.
Bodies or Committees that cannot accurately capture the identity of the very person they purportedly investigated cannot be said to have conducted a thorough or reliable inquiry. Consequently, any findings, recommendations, or pronouncements issued by any such body, whether acting alone or in conjunction with other Associations or Guilds, are inherently unreliable and cannot be accorded any probative or disciplinary value.

2. LACK OF DISCIPLINARY JURISDICTION OVER NON-MEMBERS
The disciplinary powers of the DGN, AGN and AMP, if any, are strictly limited to their members.
Our Client is not a member of DGN, AGN, or AMP. Therefore, the AGN and AMP Disciplinary Committees, and DGN's Fact-Finding Committee lack the locus, competence, or authority to:

I. constitute a disciplinary committee to investigate our Client,
ii. issue disciplinary findings against him,
iii.impose disciplinary sanctions against him, whether by way of a demand for public apology, suspension from the industry, or restriction from associating with professionals in the movie industry.
Any such action taken against a non-member, like our Client, is unconstitutional, unlawful, void, and unenforceable.

3. AGN'S DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE WROTE TO OUR CLIENT WITHOUT JURISDICTION

The AGN's Disciplinary Committee sent a correspondence to our Client despite having no legal authority to discipline him.
The DGN, AGN and AMP cannot, under the guise of "industry intervention," extend disciplinary powers beyond the scope of their respective Constitutions and Bye-laws, which are only applicable to registered members of the bodies.
Any intervention purportedly made "in public interest" do not confer disciplinary powers over non-members, nor do they permit the DGN, AGN and AMP to:
i. ban a non-member from filming,
ii. direct Nollywood practitioners not to work with him,
iii. or participate in the issuance of punitive directives against him.
Your respective Committees acted ultra vires, rendering the entire decisions invalid.

4. DGN MISREPRESENTED THE PURPOSE OF ITS ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR CLIENT
When the DGN's Fact-Finding Committee contacted our Client via a letter titled:
"INVITATION TO MEET WITH THE DGN FACT FINDING COMMITTEE" dated November 18, 2025, they expressly stated that the Guild had set up a
"fact-finding committee." At all material times, it was represented to our Client that the Committee's sole purpose was to gather information and ascertain the facts surrounding the incident on set.

A fact-finding committee lacks disciplinary jurisdiction and authority to recommend imposition of sanctions, and mandate to undertake any investigation whose outcome is intended to be punitive.
If the DGN's Fact-Finding Committee had disclosed in its correspondence that its mission was disciplinary, our Client would not have participated in any form of discussion with the Committee.
The DGN's concealment of the true intent of its 'Fact-Finding Committee' is sinister, highly unethical and negates the rules of fair hearing.

5. OUR CLIENT'S POSITION DURING THE MEETING WITH DGN FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE

During the meeting held under a fact-finding premise, our Client made it abundantly clear that he was only responding out of respect for the Directors Guild of Nigeria, and that he would not go into the substantive details of the matter, given that the case was going to be a subject of judicial inquisition and determination.
Our Client's participation was voluntary, based on the understanding that the committee was not a disciplinary panel. For the DGN's committee to subsequently metamorphose from a fact-finding body into a disciplinary committee, culminating in the issuance of sanctions, is not only deceptive but wholly unconscionable.
Any disciplinary action arising from such a defective and misrepresented process is incurably null and void.

6. OUR CLIENT IS NOT A MEMBER OF DGN, AGN AND THE AMP 

Our Client is not a member of the DGN, AGN and AMP. These three bodies lack jurisdiction to discipline or regulate him in any manner whatsoever.
No association is empowered by law to exercise coercive or disciplinary powers over persons who are not its members or beneficiaries of its Constitution.
Any sanction, directive, or instruction issued against our Client is therefore ultra vires and legally unenforceable.

7. GROSS VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO FAIR HEARING

The DGN, AGN and AMP all participated in issuing grave findings and sanctions against our Client without affording him any reasonable opportunity to be heard. Our Client was not given any meaningful opportunity to contradict, defend, or even understand the allegations made against him. For example, the AMP did not contact him at all. Yet, it co-signed the illegal and arbitrary joint decision.
These infractions constitute a blatant violation of Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the principles of natural justice, and globally accepted disciplinary standards.
The decisions in the instant case were reached in breach of our Client's fundamental right to fair hearing and are automatically void.

8. FAILURE TO DISCLOSE THE "EVIDENCE" RELIED UPON

To date, the DGN, AGN and AMP have neither made public nor furnished our Client with the so-called evidence or testimonies they allegedly relied on to arrive at their conclusions. Our Client was not confronted with any such evidence nor given any opportunity to offer a rebuttal.
A disciplinary body cannot withhold evidence, refuse an oral hearing, and still proceed to impose sanctions. Such a process is inherently unfair, biased, and legally defective.
A decision taken based on undisclosed evidence is automatically void in law.

9. UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE WITH OUR CLIENT'S CAREER

The purported industry-wide suspension imposed on our Client, the ban on filmmakers from working with him, and compulsory directives to practitioners are blatant and malicious attempts to ruin our Client's professional career.
These pronouncements amount to unlawful interference, reputational damage, and actionable economic sabotage.
The DGN, AGN and AMP have no legal authority to blacklist, suspend, or restrict our Client from participating in Nollywood productions, since he is not subject to their jurisdictions or under the employment of any of the bodies.

10. GROSS VIOLATION OF OUR CLIENT'S RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
The directive mandating all members of the DGN, AGN and AMP to cease participation in any production involving our Client is a clear and blatant violation of Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Article 10 of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, which guarantees Right to Freedom of Association.
No private association, irrespective of its nomenclature or mandate, has the power to restrict the constitutional right of any Nigerian to freely associate, work, or collaborate with others in any legitimate enterprise.

OUR DEMANDS
Accordingly, we hereby demand, on behalf of our Client: i.
Immediate and unconditional retraction of the joint findings, sanctions, and directives issued against him.
ii. A written apology to our Client.
iii. Public dissemination of the retraction and apology through the same channels used to publish the unlawful decisions.
These demands must be met within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of this letter.

TAKE NOTICE that if DGN, AGN, and AMP fail, refuse, or neglect to comply with the demands above, our Client has given us a standing instruction to immediately commence legal proceedings against the DGN, AGN and AMP and their respective Presidents, seeking, inter alia, the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) in damages for:
i.violation of his fundamental rights;
ii. unlawful interference with his acting career; iii. reputational harm;
iv. procedural impropriety; and
v. consequential economic losses.

CONCLUSION

We trust that your respective offices, Associations) and Guilds will act swiftly to remedy this grave injustice and avoid a painful litigation. This letter constitutes our Client's formal and final demand.

A stitch in time saves nine.
Yours faithfully,
FOR: INIBEHE EFFIONG CHAMBERS