By Ghazali Ibrahim
Award-winning Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has reportedly been served with a court summons following a legal action by First Bank over a N5 billion loan said to have been obtained for the production of his hit movie, Anikulapo.
According to reports making the rounds online, Afolayan secured the loan from the financial institution in 2022 to fund the production of the epic film, with an agreement to repay the facility within a period of less than three years.
The reports allege that the filmmaker made partial repayment of the loan after Netflix acquired the rights to the movie.
However, it was claimed that only about half of the money was repaid, while the outstanding balance remains unsettled.
Sources cited in the reports further alleged that First Bank decided to initiate legal proceedings after several attempts to recover the remaining debt reportedly yielded no result.
It could also be discovered that a court summons has already been issued and that Afolayan is expected to appear before the court in connection with the matter.
An unnamed associate of the filmmaker was quoted as having disclosed details of the alleged legal dispute in recent days.
The development has generated widespread reactions on social media, with many awaiting official clarification from both the filmmaker and the bank regarding the claims.
