Yemi Solade Reveals: “I Was Paid to Pretend I Received a Miracle”

Veteran Nollywood actor Yemi Solade has stirred fresh conversation online after revealing that he once took part in a staged church miracle for money long before he became a household name in the Nigerian film industry. The 66 year old actor made the disclosure during an interview with Feel Right News TV, published on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, and the clip has continued to trend across social media in the days since.

According to Solade, the incident happened while he was still a student and had not yet built his acting career. He explained that he was approached to pose as a person with a physical disability during a church programme where a healing miracle had been arranged in advance. He agreed to take part and was paid for the role.

Solade admitted that he and others who took part in similar staged healings typically spent the money they earned on alcohol, recalling that they would be picked up from their university department for the arrangement. He stopped short of naming the church or the individuals behind the scheme, only confirming that those involved are still alive today.

The revelation lands just days after Solade opened up in a separate interview, on the show Curiosity Made Me Ask, about why he stepped away from organized religion. He shared that he has not attended church in thirteen years, explaining that he had simply stopped finding it fulfilling, while maintaining that he still considers himself a Christian at heart.

Taken together, the two interviews have reignited a familiar but sensitive conversation in Nigeria around staged miracles, questionable church practices, and the pressure some congregants and hopefuls face to manufacture dramatic testimonies for public consumption. Solade’s willingness to speak candidly about his own past involvement, rather than simply commenting on the phenomenon from the outside, is a major reason the story has resonated so widely.

Fake miracle allegations are not new in Nigerian religious and entertainment circles, but a public figure admitting firsthand participation carries extra weight. Solade’s comments have added fuel to ongoing public skepticism about staged healings in some churches, a topic that resurfaces periodically whenever a public figure, whistleblower, or former church worker comes forward with similar claims.

As of now, Solade has not named any church or pastor connected to the incident, and no religious institution has publicly responded to his comments. This remains a personal recollection from decades ago rather than an active investigation, and readers should treat the specifics accordingly until any named parties respond.