Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has spoken candidly about the frightening experience her family went through during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, revealing that death threats directed at her children forced her to step back from activism.
Omotola made the revelation during an interview on Rubbin’ Minds, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, which airs on Sunday.
Describing the period as the darkest chapter of her advocacy, the award-winning actress said the backlash’s scale and intensity shocked her.
“I am used to death threats; I have received them many times. But I have never seen anything like what happened during #EndSARS. It was intense,” she said.
According to Omotola, the situation crossed a painful line when her children became targets of the threats.
“My kids started getting death threats. That was when it became weird,” she added, visibly emotional.
The actress explained that her involvement in the protests went beyond posting online. She said she was physically present on the streets and actively engaged in international advocacy.
“I was on the streets during #EndSARS. I was doing international advocacy. I spoke with CNN, engaged with international NGOs and embassies, and I was doing a lot of work,” she said.
Omotola further disclosed that the threats escalated from online harassment to real-world intimidation, with people allegedly showing up at her residence and workplace looking for her.
“When people started coming physically to my home and place of work to look for me, I knew I had to worry about other people and not just myself,” she explained.
Her comments shed new light on the personal cost many public figures paid during the #EndSARS movement and highlight why some activists chose to step back from the front line, prioritising the safety of their families over continued public advocacy.
