Donations Stolen, Adopted Daughter vs Wife: 5 Controversies That Surrounded Mr Ibu’s Death

Recently deceased Nollywood comic actor John Okechukwu Okafor will be remembered for a long time as the man who made Africa laugh. But the question is, was Mr Ibu, as he was fondly called, happy in his private life?

The comic legend is one of the most loved Nollywood actors who left an indelible mark in the movie industry, and to many, it is believed that he deserved a better life than the one he led.

Legit.ng in this article gives a detailed breakdown of the controversies surrounding Mr Ibu's death and his final years on earth.

1. Donations for his treatment embezzled

During Mr Ibu's recent health issues, which saw him publicly solicit funds so that he could travel outside Nigeria to get care for an ailment that made him lose one of his legs.

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It came as a shock weeks later when his wife, Stella Maris, went online to accuse Mr Ibu's son Valentine and his adopted daughter Jasmine of conspiring to embezzle her husband's donations.

Stella Maris accused Lady Jasmine of stealing her husband's money while refusing to allow her access to the funds.

Days after the allegations were made public, Jasmine and Valentine were arrested by the police on suspicion of hacking into Mr Ibu's phone to steal $60,700 (N94m). They were later released, and all the charges were withdrawn.

2. Adopted daughter and wife's saga

In 2023, before Mr Ibu fell seriously ill and was fully admitted, his wife Stella Maris went on social media to level some dire allegations against him and his adopted daughter, Lady Jasmine.

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During her online rants, Stella revealed that Lady Jasmine wasn't Mr Ibu's biological daughter. She accused Jasmine of sleeping with her father and hijacking him from her.

Months later, when Mr Ibu was admitted to the hospital, hostilities between both women resumed.

However, Jasmine has shared her side of the story in a series of videos. She revealed that her adopted father ran away from his matrimonial home for over two years in a bid to avoid living with his wife.

Jasmine also addressed the allegations about her and Mr Ibu's son stealing his donations, noting that it was untrue and were just vindictive statements made by his wife because they didn't allow her to mismanage it.

3. Unhappy marriages

According to reports and statements he made himself, John Okafor is believed to have gotten married five different times.

Mr Ibu is on record saying he has never had a happy marriage. However, in a voice message, he noted that his last to Stella Maris had been his worst. This were his words:

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"This is my final marriage. If this one falls apart, I won't marry again. This is my fifth and the worst marriage," he said this earlier this year to Daily Post.

4. His worker once tried to assassinate him

The veteran actor was also a victim of assassination; though he survived, his health never remained the same after the attack.

Mr Ibu in 2014 revealed that one of his workers tried to poison him. He shared this after his fans expressed concerns about his scarily bloated stomach.

Okafor shared during an interview that he was poisoned, and though he survived the attack, the residual effect of the toxin has destroyed parts of his digestive system and stomach wall.

5. His unsuccessful foray into music and influencing

For nearly four years before his passing Mr Ibu didn't really feature nor starred in any Nollywood movie but he was active until his ill-health brought things to a complete halt.

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In October 2020, he dropped two songs, titled This Girl and Do You Know. However, both were a flop and they never kicked-off.

He also tried his hands in skit making and content creation with the support of his adopted daughter, Jasmine. This was successful for a while until his health worsened and he couldn't do much any longer.

Mr Ibu's wife raises concerns

Legit.ng earlier reported that Stella Marris, the actor's wife, cried profusely at a hospital bed amid the her husband's health challenges.

Mr Ibu's wife was in deep tears as she sang a sorrowful song about how no weapon fashioned against her should prosper because God held the key to her life.

Source: Legit.ng