The Story⚡
A pastor and his wife build their ministry and family on faith, only to discover that the foundations they trust most are far more fragile than they believed, in the movie Ajaga (The Yoke).
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Ajaga (The Yoke) centres on Pastor David and Bolusefe, the founders of True Heart Christian Assembly. For years, the couple has prayed and sought medical help in their desire for biological children, yet conception remains out of reach. Eventually, they decide to adopt, bringing two young girls from underprivileged homes into their household and raising them as their own.
Bolusefe continues her professional life as a lawyer who specialises in cases of domestic and sexual violence. She is shown as a capable prosecutor who has secured justice for victims, including a high-profile case involving the son of a government official. In public, the couple presents a picture of spiritual leadership and domestic stability. In private, pressures begin to build. Anonymous threats reach Bolusefe, raising questions about the household’s true character and the man she has trusted for so long.
Adenike Odubawo wrote the script and produced the film while taking the central role of Bolusefe. She has spoken of the difficulty of balancing the dual responsibilities of producer and lead actor on a large-scale production that dealt with delicate subject matter. Remi Ibinola directed, bringing a measured approach that seeks to expose difficult realities without reducing the entire institution of the church to a single stereotype. Ladipo Abiola handled cinematography, capturing both the church’s formal spaces and the more intimate domestic settings. Femi Olukotun served as executive producer. The production companies were DB Studio and BrookHeritage Capital Ltd, with post-production completed by Rhemaction Studio.
The cast is led by Femi Jacobs as Pastor David and Adenike Odubawo as Bolusefe. Tope Olowoniyan appears in a key supporting role that highlights friendship and the difficulty of confronting hard truths. Additional performances come from Jayeola Monje, Carol King, Tory Thompson Eseoghene, Lola Smart, Tomiwa Sage, Francis Onwochei, Sophie Alakija, Yvonne Jegede, Scarlet Gomez and Elvina Ibru. The ensemble work is grounded rather than heightened, allowing the emotional weight of the story to develop through character interaction and quiet observation.
Odubawo has explained that the story was one she felt needed telling in a specific form: not as a conventional redemption arc in which the central figure seeks forgiveness and is restored, but as an account in which responsibility and consequences are faced directly. Ibinola has noted the ongoing concern that those in positions of spiritual authority can sometimes act without accountability, particularly when the people affected are vulnerable women. The finished film reflects these concerns through its focus on the personal cost of secrecy and the practical steps required when silence is no longer tenable.
In Summary
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