Many are afraid to speak up, Toyin Abraham opens up over cinema ticket fraud

Filmmaker Toyin Abraham has raised concerns about how some cinemas are handling ticket sales for her latest film Oversabi Aunty, which opened on December 19.

Speaking during an Instagram Live session on Friday, Toyin said some theatres are giving audiences the wrong tickets and then telling them her movie is sold out. She also questioned the scheduling of showtimes and how these practices affect box office revenue.

Toyin urged moviegoers to check their tickets carefully and insist on the correct screening, adding that some cinema staff are hesitant to speak out because of fear of intimidation. She said:

“Many are afraid to speak up because of bullying.”

She also criticised showtimes assigned to her film, saying early morning and late-night slots make it harder for audiences to attend. She added:

“Some cinemas are crazy — they give one person 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. shows. How can the film make money? I produced a good movie, directed it, did publicity, and yet we are given inconvenient showtimes.”

Other filmmakers have raised similar concerns that some cinema operators take money for tickets without screening films as scheduled.

Oversabi Aunty is directed by Abraham and stars Queen Nwokoye, Mike Ezuruonye, and Enioluwa Adeoluwa. The film tells the story of a self-righteous church usher whose efforts to “fix” people lead to upheaval in her personal life.

Cinema operators have not responded to the allegations. Some social media users have also shared experiences of being offered tickets for different films than they paid for, though these accounts are unverified.

Oversabi Aunty is one of several major Nollywood releases this holiday season, a period that traditionally draws large audiences to cinemas across Nigeria.