Nollywood actress Dayo Amusa has been slammed for allegedly plagiarizing a post by media strategist and women’s advocate, Esther Ijewere.
Ijewere accused Amusa of copying her heartfelt message to singer Asake without crediting her as the original author.
Esther Ijewere had over the weekend shared a deeply personal opinion on Asake’s childhood struggles and the emotional impact of parental rejection. The post quickly resonated with many readers.
Amusa instead of writing her own message, copied that of Ijewere and posted it on Facebook and Instagram.
Ijewere took to social media to call her out and wrote: “Dear Dayo Amusa, You took my post from my Facebook page and shared it as your own on Facebook and Instagram without giving me proper credit. Please do the right thing and acknowledge my work. It’s important to respect and credit the original creator.”
However, reacting in a comment on Instagram, Amusa said that she had received the post via WhatsApp and did not know who the original writer was.
“E dey pain you say I no tag your name abi. Pele baby!!! Like I told you in your DM earlier. I don’t know you, let alone knowing you were the original writer. It was copied from a friend’s WhatsApp, and I even screenshot am for you to see. I felt the need to share to a wider audience coz I related so well with the circumstances. And am sure you & your soldiers aren’t blind to see the #copied at the end of the post, meaning I take no credit to the post.”
“How market? Enjoying the gbasgbos? Have fun and enjoy it while it lasts.”
Shortly after, she added the hashtag #copied to her Instagram post and disabled the comments section.
Esther Ijewere, the founder of Women of Rubies, has spent years using her platform to uplift creatives.
Ijewere expressed her disappointment over Amusa’s actions, stating: “That article was personal to me. It wasn’t just about Asake it was about my own lived experiences. I have always supported creatives and amplified their voices. To see another woman take credit for my work and then mock me for speaking up is disappointing.”
Many social media users criticized Amusa’s response, noting that adding “#copied” after being confronted does not equate to proper attribution.
