‘Yemoja Is Not Olokun’ – Traditionalists Force Yetunde Barnabas to Change Movie Title Back

• Nollywood actress Yetunde Barnabas has reversed her decision to rename her upcoming movie Yemoja to Olokun after facing intense backlash from Yoruba traditionalists.

Nollywood actress Yetunde Barnabas has bowed to mounting pressure from Yoruba traditionalists and changed the title of her forthcoming movie back to Yemoja after a controversial decision to rename it Olokun sparked outrage online.

The actress, who is married to Nigerian footballer Peter Olayinka, had earlier explained that she changed the movie’s title to avoid confusion after discovering that some YouTube channels were already using her promotional materials to advertise another production bearing the name Yemoja.

However, her explanation did little to calm critics, particularly custodians of the Yoruba traditional religion, who argued that Yemoja and Olokun are separate deities with different identities and spiritual significance.

One of the loudest voices in the controversy, Yoruba traditionalist Rosanwo, questioned the actress’s decision, asking whether a filmmaker could make a movie about Ogun and later rename it after Sango.

“If the name of your movie was Ogun, can you change the name to Sango after production? Yemoja is not Olokun. Olokun is not a mermaid. Yemoja also is not a mermaid or a fish,” she said.

Rosanwo further criticised what she described as the persistent misrepresentation of Yoruba deities in movies, especially the portrayal of Yemoja and Olokun as mythical half-human, half-fish creatures.

According to her, the Irúnmọlẹ̀ were divine beings who lived on earth as complete human beings before becoming Òrìṣà and should not be reduced to the foreign concept of “Mammy Water.”

The controversy reportedly escalated to the point where members of the Molokun sect in different parts of Yorubaland petitioned the Federal Government through the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), requesting a review of the movie before its release.

Amid the growing backlash, Yetunde Barnabas took to Instagram to announce that she had decided to revert to the original title, Yemoja, out of respect for Yoruba culture and the concerns raised by her fans and traditionalists.

“Out of love for our culture, deep respect for tradition and consideration for some of my fans whose beliefs do not align with using Olokun and Mermaid together, I have decided to change the title back to its original name YEMOJA,” she wrote.

The actress also apologised to anyone who felt offended by the title change, adding that she remains open to learning and correction.

She confirmed that Yemoja will premiere on July 3 exclusively on her YouTube channel, describing it as a beautiful and visually stunning project that she cannot wait for fans to watch.

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