Nollywood’s feuding divas Iyabo Ojo and Lizzy Anjorin have dragged their long-simmering beef back into the spotlight, with social media turning the drama into a full-blown meme fest via the “Iyabo Ojo Challenge.” In a fiery Instagram post from Tanzania, where she’s doting on her newborn grandson, Iyabo Ojo has warned that her legal team is “taking notes of everything,” signaling an impending lawsuit over Anjorin’s relentless online onslaughts—including death wishes on Ojo’s children and grandson.
The escalation hit fever pitch this week after Anjorin, 42, unleashed a barrage of cryptic posts and videos accusing Ojo of orchestrating defamation campaigns against her family, including claims that Ojo’s allies took her children’s photos to a “native doctor” for curses. Anjorin, never one to hold back, doubled down by wishing “death” on Ojo’s kids and grandson, reigniting a rivalry that’s seen police stations, courtrooms, and a dismissed ₦1 billion defamation suit from Ojo back in July. “I’ve seen all your messages, DMs, voice notes… about the defamatory statements, insults, death wishes, and curses,” Ojo wrote in her post, admitting she often “struggles to hold my peace.” “I want to assure you all that my legal team isn’t sleeping. They’re taking notes of everything.”
What started as a colleague spat in 2023—sparked by Anjorin’s conspiracy theories about Ojo’s circle—has morphed into Nollywood’s messiest saga, complete with fire threats (Ojo’s office mysteriously burned down last month amid the chaos) and family endangerment warnings. Ojo’s daughter Priscilla even hinted at surveillance threats in May, while Anjorin celebrated the July dismissal of Ojo’s suit on a technicality (unsigned writ), gloating about a ₦500,000 cost award against Ojo. But Nigerians, ever the meme lords, flipped the script with the “Iyabo Ojo Challenge” on TikTok—a satirical trend where users mock the duo’s endless shade-throwing with over-the-top reenactments of curses, herbalist visits, and courtroom flexes. Videos tagged #IyaboOjoChallenge have surged past 1 million views, with one viral skit showing a “native doctor” rejecting photos because “Iyabo’s juju too strong.”
Ojo, 48 and fresh off her Tanzania getaway with daughter Priscilla’s baby, addressed the challenge with her trademark humor in a video response, laughing it off as “social media’s way of turning pain into punchlines.” Yet, beneath the levity, her tone sharpened: “Lizzy, your audacity to target my innocent grandson? That’s where I draw the line. Legal action is coming—watch.” Anjorin, holed up in Lagos with her daughter, has yet to reply directly but reposted fan defenses accusing Ojo of “playing victim” while “sponsoring blogs to tarnish me.”
The feud’s ripple effects are stark: Ojo’s July video vowing to hold Anjorin “responsible” if harm befalls her family drew intervention from activist VeryDarkMan, who mediated a brief truce that crumbled by August. Fans are exhausted yet hooked, with X ablaze under #IyaboVsLizzy: “From court to challenge—only in Nollywood 😂,” one user tweeted, while another urged, “Ladies, therapy over TikTok trends!” Industry insiders whisper of deeper roots in business rivalries—Ojo’s thriving makeup line versus Anjorin’s food empire—but both stars insist it’s personal.
As Ojo eyes a sequel to her hit The New Girl, this latest chapter could land them back in court, potentially setting precedents for cyberbullying in celebrity spats. Will the challenge go viral enough to broker peace, or fuel more fire? One thing’s certain: In Iyabo’s words, her team’s “notes” are stacking higher than the memes.