Some actors who featured on the set of Lasgidi Cops, an ongoing television series, have decried the production’s failure to pay their wages months after shooting their scenes.

Production told FIJ there were financial constraints, and they tried to seek the understanding of these actors, but they also admitted to breaching verbal contracts with them.

The series Yemisi Wada produces tells the story of a Lagos Special Crimes Unit team of crime scene investigators who solve various murder cases in a fictional city.

When shooting scenes for this project, casting director Taiwo Omotesho contacted several agents to bring actors to the set.

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As the production crew has been shooting since 2015, they hire actors to play the role of extras at various points in time.

Some actors who spoke to FIJ on condition of anonymity for fear of losing future jobs in the movie industry said they joined the set as far back as July 24, 2024. Others said they acted in June, while others said theirs were earlier.

“The crew said they wanted girls between the ages of 15 and 20, and we had to come together to have them ready for shoot,” one of the sources told FIJ.

“We had agents who reached out to us, and these agents told us the production team would pay us immediately after shooting, but they never did.

“They owe some of us N10,000 each. Others are higher, but they still have not paid since then.”

FIJ spoke with the agents, and they said they were not responsible for paying the actors. They said Omotesho reached them to make a demand for actors and they provided these actors to the set.

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The agents told FIJ on Friday that they had not been paid either, and they were victims of the production’s failure too.

FIJ called Omotesho on Friday afternoon. She confirmed she was speaking with agents to get them to give the production more time, but she was not responsible for payment.

Aloba Iyore, the series’ production manager, told FIJ on Friday evening that the company breached their verbal contract with the actors.

“I was supposed to send a voice note to the actors, but I have been busy and I forgot to send it,” Iyore told FIJ.

“I am not denying that it is a breach of contract; I agree with that.”

He also said, “I will talk to them, and hopefully, we can pay them at the end of the month.”

When FIJ asked if there was a guarantee for this, Iyore said, “It is not in my control. Maybe we can pay. The money we were expecting has not come yet.”
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