Esther Ijewere slams Dayo Amusa over plagiarism

Nollywood actress Dayo Amusa has faced criticisms for allegedly plagiarizing a post by media strategist and women’s advocate, Esther Ijewere.

The controversy arose when Ijewere discovered that Amusa had reportedly copied and reposted her heartfelt message about singer Asake without crediting her as the original author.

On March 14, Esther Ijewere had shared a deeply personal opinion on Asake’s childhood struggles and the emotional impact of parental rejection. The post quickly resonated with many readers.

However, by the following day, Amusa had posted an identical version on her Facebook and Instagram pages, omitting any mention of Ijewere as the original writer.

On March 15, Ijewere publicly addressed the situation: “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.”

 “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.