Onyeka Onwenu: She Married a Yoruba Man, Has 2 Boys and 3 Other Things People Should Know About Her
- The Nigerian entertainment industry recently lost one of its greatest entertainers and broadcaster of all time, Onyeka Onwenu
- Onyeka Onwemu was reported to have slumped after a recent performance at the birthday party of Stella Okoli, the CEO of Emzor Pharmaceuticals
- In celebration of the great life the Nigerian legend lived, Legit.ng, in this article, has highlighted some things that many people never knew about her
Earlier today, July 31, 2024, news broke that legendary Nigerian entertainer Onyeka Onwenu had passed away minutes after she finished performing at a birthday party in Lagos.
Many were shocked to hear about Onyeka Onwenu's sudden passing. With her music, acting, and broadcast journalism achievements, she's regarded by many as the matriarch of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Source: Instagram
According to The Nigerian Tribune, Onyeka Onwenu passed away minutes after she performed at Stella Okoli, the CEO of Emzor Pharmaceuticals' birthday party.
Onyeka was pronounced dead on Tuesday night at the Reddington Hospital in Lagos. In celebration of her glorious passing, Legit.ng, in this article, will help educate her fans more about her life.
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We would highlight five things that many people don't know about her.
Where is Onyeka Onwenu from?
The legendary singer was born and raised in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. But she originally hails from Arondizuogu, a town in Ideato North, Imo state. The Nigerian singer was born on January 31, I952.
She is the youngest daughter of Nigerian educationist and politician D.K Onwenu. However, it is painful to know that Onyeka never grew up to know her father because he passed away in a car crash when she was just 4-years-old.
Onyeka Onwenu's father passed away a week before he was to be named the minister of education under the Governor-General, Sir John Macpherson.
Early life, education and career
Onyeka Onwenu can largely be described as someone born into a privileged life. Records about her primary and secondary education couldn't be ascertained when this report was put together, but details about her tertiary education are well-defined.
According to Tribune, she attended the University of Ibadan in the early 1970s, where she studied international relations.
The records also show that she furthered her education, picking up another diploma in international relations and communication from Wellesley College in Massachusetts, USA.
Shortly afterwards, Onyeka started her musical career in 1979 but got her big break in 1980.
She went on to release multiple albums, including evergreen classics like "One Love," "You and I," "Iyogogo," "Ekwe," and "Odenigbo."
Marital life and relationship controversies
Many people know very little about Onyeka Onwenu's marital life. Some don't know that she got married to a Muslim Yoruba man whose last name is Ogunlende.
The union produced two sons, Tijani and Ibrahim Ogunlende. But the latter changed his first name to Abraham instead of Ibrahim.
Singer's marital life was rocked with several controversies, and one of the most famous ones was when it was alleged that she was in a relationship with King Sunny Ade.
The rumours became more widespread in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the pair worked together multiple times on different records.
But the singer-turned-actress denied it every time she was asked if she dated or was ever in a relationship with the great King Sunny Ade.
Her acting career
In the early 1990s the singer took up a new challenge and went into the movie industry as an actress.
Onyeka Onwenu once again didn't disappoint as she went on to break records in the industry and is still regarded to date as one of the greatest.
She starred in numerous movies over the span of 30 years in the acting, some of her greatest films include: Half of a Yellow Sun, Muna, Lion Heart and many more.
Onyeka's life as a politician and activist
The Nigerian legend also ventured into politics at an older age and was once appointed the chairperson of the Imo state council of arts and culture.
She was also an advocate for women and children's rights, participating in different humanitarian efforts and social causes.
Two of her evergreen songs done with KSA were sponsored by UNAIDS to help create awareness about HIV/AIDS in the 90s.
Onyeka famously took on one of her employers, the Nigerian Broadcasting Agency (NTA), in the 2000s, accusing them of using her songs but have refused to pay her royalties.
She was also an active member of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan's cabinet. She was appointed as the executive director of the National Centre for Women Development in 2013.
Onyeka Onwenu made a Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) for her contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Also, she received the award of the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2011.
"How I raised my kids alone" - Onyeka
Meanwhile, in 2022, Legit.ng reported that Onyeka Onwenu spoke during an interview with Kikelomo Atanda-Owo about her personal life and why she divorced her husband.
When Onyeka was asked about when a woman should draw the line between the love for their spouses, the life of their children, and the endurance of their sanity, she said:
"I went through It, was difficult, I really didn't want my marriage to end but I could not take it anymore, it could have killed me that is the truth."
Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng
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Source: Legit.ng
