Stellamaris Okafor, the widow of the late Nollywood actor John “Mr Ibu” Okafor, has denied allegations made by her stepson, Somtochukwu, who accused of squandering proceeds from the sale of the late actor’s properties.
The public dispute escalated after Somtochukwu, Mr Ibu’s fourth child, released a video accusing StellaMarris of secretly selling off his late father’s properties in Enugu, Asaba, and Lagos. He alleged that she kept the entirety of the proceeds for herself and her biological children.
Somto’s video was a direct reaction to an earlier interview StellaMarris granted to content creator Mukoro “King Mitchy” Michelle. In that initial interview, the widow claimed that she and her three children were facing severe financial hardship, struggling to pay house rent and school fees, and desperately needed financial assistance.
Responding swiftly to the accusations in a follow-up interview with King Mitchy, StellaMarris rejected all of Somto’s claims. She clarified that the only property sold was a piece of land in the village, adding that she fully consulted the late actor’s other children before the transaction. Furthermore, she disclosed that the entire N17 million generated from the land sale was strictly used to fund Mr Ibu’s funeral expenses.
“Before they sold the land, we were still in the village, and they (the children and family) were arguing with me over the money they gave me during the burial. They insisted that I must share the money with them. I told them the money was for my children.
The money was N500,000. Regarding the land in Enugu State, three of us sold it to fund my husband’s burial. We sold the land for N17 million and used it for the burial. Go and ask the children,” she said
She stated that throughout her marriage to Mr Ibu, he never disclosed that he had been previously married or that he had fathered children with other women.
“My husband never told me that he was married before. Even the first son, I keep seeing him in the house. My husband never for one day told me that he was his son. When I was married to my husband, he impregnated a lady who gave birth to twins,” she said
King Mitchy revealed that well-meaning Nigerians had contributed a total of N7.5 million towards their upkeep.
Mr Ibu died on 2 March 2024 at a Lagos hospital following a cardiac arrest. 62 years old.
Watch Stella give an account of what transpired below
