Nollywood director and actress Funke Akindele has issued a strong warning to fans and netizens against pirating her latest movie, Everybody Loves Jenifa. 

The seasoned filmmaker addressed the matter during the Exhibition Soiree for the film on November 20, 2024, urging the public to refrain from pirating or canvassing at cinemas when the film premieres on December 13, 2024.

Akindele’s concerns come in the wake of her previous film, A Tribe Called Judah, being pirated shortly after its release, leading to significant financial losses. Determined to prevent a repeat, she emphasized the importance of supporting filmmakers through legitimate channels.

In a heartfelt message shared on her Instagram account, Akindele expressed gratitude to her fans while cautioning against filming or sharing unauthorized content from the movie.

“If you go to see my new movie and you bring out your phone or any device you have to film, then that won’t be fine,” she said. “I know you’ve got mad love for me as my fan… but filming it is not you supporting me. Uploading it on your social media accounts is not support. Don’t bring out your phones. If you want to support me, get to the cinemas, take pictures by the stands, post my trailers, the teasers of the movie, and I’ll be fine. The act of you filming it on the screen is piracy. YES.”

Akindele also revealed that stringent security measures would be enforced at cinema screenings to prevent unauthorized recording. She warned that anyone caught filming the movie would face legal action.

“We must not encourage piracy. We are taking serious security measures to arrest anyone that does that. I love my fans so much, but please don’t be caught doing it because it’s affecting us, it’s killing us, and it’s not helping the brand. We need to grow more than this. We spent a lot of money on that project,” she concluded.