Veteran Nollywood actor John Okafor, better known professionally as Mr. Ibu gives more insight into the nature of his family crisis.
In a recent interview, the actor, who was queried about the nature of his current marriage, said:
“This is my final marriage.” If this one falls apart, I won’t marry again. This is my fifth and worst marriage because my wife adopted what is not attainable. This feels like punishment, not marriage. I doubt if I am still in the marriage because it seems she has already prepared her mind to leave, and I’m not going to stop her. I support her leaving. Each time I see her, I begin to breathe erratically, and it is not good for me because I am not ready to die. “There are opportunities that God exposed me to that are of interest to me.”
The Enugu-born performer, who was asked whether he was still married when he adopted his daughter, said:
“After my fourth marriage, I adopted Jasmine.” She was still a girl of about 12 or 13 years old when I adopted her. I adopted her because nobody cared for her. She was abandoned. I usually go to places and listen to people. She came to me and told me she was interested in acting. She does not know who her biological father was, and her mother didn’t use to discuss anything about him with her. She told me she used to watch my movies, and she loved me so much that she would like to be in my care. I asked her what level of education she had, and she told me to help her complete her education, which I did. She bears my name, but it wasn’t until later that the adoption was legalized. Her mother consented to my adopting her.”
He added that he had begun having issues with his fifth wife following his recovery from a poison attack.
Ibu said:
“Right from the start, she never allowed me to rest.” When I was hospitalized and she came to the hospital, it was like war. She kept complaining that I did not care for her and the children. I made arrangements to give her some money, but she said it was not enough and that I should add something to it. “I did, and after she left, she did not come to see me again throughout my stay in the hospital.”
