‘My ex-wife killed my son and wants me dead’ – Mr Ibu

Mr Ibu and his current wife, Stella Maris

A Popular Nollywood actor John Ikechukwu Okafor, aka Mr Ibu, has accused his wife of being responsible for his son’s death, amongst other allegations.

Ibu is unarguably one of the funniest characters in the Nigerian movie industry. The seemingly ‘unserious’ persona he portrays on screen has endeared him to many, as his movies are often rib cracking.

Ironically, Okafor hasn’t been having a happy life recently, having been plagued with several issues ranging from dwindling finances to family feuds. While many thought he was making enough money from his acting career to live comfortably, the actor claims this is far from the truth.

Early in 2011, the actor’s wife Stella Maris and son were kidnapped and held for a ransom of N50m. The comedian cried out to the public, saying that he didn’t have that kind of money. After appealing to the kidnappers, his family was released for a smaller sum, and he was quick to attribute the ordeal to his enemies, pointing fingers specifically at his ex-wife, whom he claimed wanted his downfall.

Things were to get worse for Okafor and his wife, as their 2-year-old son died after a brief illness in January 2012. Life has since not been the same for the celebrated actor. He is yet to recover from the loss.

Now, he has finally come out to accuse his ex-wife of planning the kidnap of his family and the murder of his son, who he claimed was poisoned.

In his words, ‘My ex-wife and her cohorts planned and kidnapped my wife and child; they were later released after 10 days. That child died a year later through poison. The facts later came out but I don’t want to act on it now‘.

In a recent interview, Okafor claims he began suspecting his ex-wife after one of the kidnappers, while negotiating for a reduction in the ransom fee, enquired about her. He claimed that while exchanging pleasantries with one of the kidnappers, with whom he had become familiar after days of negotiations, he was told she (his ex-wife) was responsible for his travails.