DETAILED: I No Longer Eat Food Cooked By My Wife – Mr Ibu

Nollywood star, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, has revealed that he no longer eats meals prepared by his wife as he opened up on the difficulties he is currently going through in his marriage, which he described as the "worst ever".

In an interview with Saturday Beats, the actor admitted that this is his sixth marriage and that he is tired of getting married. He also shared his thoughts on the uproar that followed his wife's accusation that their adopted daughter, Jasmine, was preparing to put their Abuja home up for sale.

Below is Mr Ibu's reaction to some of the questions put to him during the interview:

How is your marriage at the moment?


This is my last marriage. I won't marry again if this one doesn't work out. This is my fifth marriage and the worst because my wife has accepted something that is unattainable. This is not a marriage; it feels like a punishment. As she seems determined to leave and I'm not going to stop her, I'm not sure I'm still married. I agree that she should leave. Every time I see her, my breathing becomes uneven, which is bad for me because I am not ready to die. The opportunities God has given me have made me curious.

Were you married when you adopted your daughter? Jasmine

Jasmine was the adopted child of my fourth marriage. When I adopted her, she was still a girl, maybe 12 or 13 years old.

I no longer consume food prepared by my wife, Mr Ibu
Why did you adopt her?

It was because she was not loved by anyone. She was left behind. I frequently visit places and observe people. She approached me and expressed interest in acting. She is unaware of who her biological father was, and her mother never used to talk to her about him. She confessed to loving me so much and wanting to be in my care because she used to watch my movies. She told me to assist her finish her studies when I questioned her about her level of education, which I did. She has my name, but the adoption wasn't officially recognized until until later. Her mother gave me the go-ahead to adopt her.

It was alleged that you only started having problems with your wife after you had recovered from the poison attack. Ist das so?

She had never before let me take a break. It felt like war when she visited the hospital while I was in the hospital. She insisted that I did not look out for her or the kids. I made plans to give her some money, but she insisted that I should add to it because it wasn't enough. She left once she saw me, and for the whole of my hospital stay, she did not return.

You claimed to have introduced your wife to Jasmine before the wedding. What did she think when she first saw your adopted daughter with your other kids at the time?

Everyone knew everything about me and Jasmine, and my wife kept asking when she would meet her. She met Jasmine through me, and the two quickly grew close. Jasmine began supporting the family financially, purchasing groceries and giving my wife cash. My wife would occasionally leave the house to visit Jasmine. Everything was running smoothly.


What caused her to alter and start to doubt your friendship with Jasmine after that?

One local woman who was connected to the family was from my town. This woman desired more than what God had given her, and when she was denied it, she began causing problems in my home by mentally manipulating my wife.

The Divisional Police Officer questioned her if I was accountable for all she claimed I did when we were recently in the police station. She said, "No," stating that I should be aware that no one wants to lose a case that has been made public. She said that her sole goal was to win the lawsuit. So, in front of the DPO, my wife's younger brother, her friends, and the woman from my town all bowed down and begged me. Before that, the younger brother of my wife was prepared to fight me within my own home. The same youngster who expressed a desire to play football outside of Nigeria was the one I brought to other clubs, where he was given a chance but was not chosen. In the end, I actually lost money.

However, your wife posted all those disparaging comments about you and Jasmine on social media following the confrontation with the police.

That entire thing was carried out by the same local woman. She apologized when we called her. I drove her to Enugu from Abuja when she had a problem with her business and gave her a house and some cash. I assured her that I would back her in any venture she decided to pursue and asked her to let me know. But she claimed that she wished to go back to Abuja after spending 11 months in Enugu. She has only been causing minor disruptions here and there.

When you noticed that they were coming close, did you tell your wife to be cautious?

I only warned her to exercise caution because I was unable to stop the two of them from leaving. My wife, however, claimed that nothing would occur; yet, the result is already apparent.


Some claim that your wife is misbehaving because you don't treat her like a wife, despite the fact that you granted Jasmine those rights. What do you think about that?

This is untrue. She didn't have a car when I married her, and her family couldn't afford to purchase her one. At once, I gave her three cars. I advised her to reserve one for church, one for running errands around the house, and save the third for going out with her friends. However, my issue began the day I gave her those vehicles. I gave her the freedom to carry out her own plans. However, she began dating other women, and occasionally I overhear them enquiring as to why she is still married.

On several occasions, you have been poisoned. What impact have such events had on your interpersonal relationships?

I own around ten cars and landed estates. The women my wife is traveling with strike me as avaricious. They are keeping an eye on my assets. They believe that if something were to happen to me, my wife would inherit everything.

I was poisoned, but I'm not sure how it happened. After the first try, which I managed to survive, came the second. When I looked into the second attempt, I found that a local person had been hired to poison me. My wife disputed what I suspected when I approached her. I pursued the man who brought the poison to the complex and gave it to someone else so they might use it on me until I caught up with him. I approached the individual and let him know I had received his letter. I questioned him about any wrongdoing on my part. He seems unaware of the incident though. Because of that poison, I went through hell. I cried every day because I was having trouble breathing. Later, I started throwing up, so I went to the hospital and was given a vitamin that helped me feel better.

I resumed living my life, but I was once more poisoned. When my cousin saw me, he said that I was demonstrating my wealth to him. He continued by threatening me. In order to kill him, I had to go and rent a gun and go to the village. But he wasn't there when I arrived home. Because I didn't want it to appear that I was being instructed, I sat in my car. While I was waiting for him, my deceased father advised me that what I was planning would cause havoc in the world and make me regret it. I then sped away. I passed my cousin as I continued on my trip, and despite his cries for me to halt, I continued on. I would have killed him if it weren't for my deceased father appearing to warn me.

I no longer consume meals prepared by my wife, Mr. Ibu
How are things right now between you and your wife?

She has been incredibly loving ever since the current occurrence. But I am aware that it is all a ruse to grab my attention. I continue to show her my affection by paying the bills and seeing to the necessities of the family. But I have a lot of doubts. I've given up eating her food. I'm solely using Jasmine's kitchen right now for food. I enjoy eating, and she cooks a lot.

Compared to your other children, Jasmine seems to be your favorite. Why is it the case?

That is as a result of Jasmine's maturity. She has media exposure as well. I have four girls and twelve sons. Four children were born to my first son's marriage; some of my children have graduated from college, while others are still in school.

How did it effect you and your family when you first realized you had dementia?

My mind would occasionally wander. I might simply forget that I was holding something while I was sitting. Even now, I could be counting money and throwing it in the trash. I wouldn't realize it was money until I must have thrown it out. Then I'd have to go get it out of the garbage. Reason is highly expensive. Anytime I thought of my wife, my mood would suddenly alter.

You made a suggestion that you would be going back to set after getting over the poisoning event. What are your goals for that?

When I took the time to read through some of the new scripts they sent me while I was recuperating from my illness, I discovered that some of the writers were not using good judgment. The majority of the scripts (I was getting) up until this point were not worth it. After that, I sought the advice of various established authors to help some of their members decide whether to debate a subject before writing about it. Some of them are currently rewriting their previously written scripts since they paid attention to my advise. I'll be back on the screen shortly.