In this St Valentine’s Day edition, IVORY UKONU narrates how some popular Nigerian entertainers went through hell and high water in search of true love
Nkiru Sylvanus
Nollywood actress and one-time Special Adviser to a former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, Nkiru Sylvanus is once again savouring the joy of wedlock, 13 years after her first marriage to Stanley Duru, a businessman based in the Netherlands, collapsed in 2020 amid controversy.
She is currently married to Sammy Riches, an actor, Youtuber and businessman based in Japan. The couple dated for about five years before they decided to walk down the aisle.
Mercy Aigbe
Like Patrick Doyle, Mercy Aigbe is currently in her third marriage. She was initially married to an Igbo man, with whom she had her first child, Michelle, who is an undergraduate. The union was short-lived due to an alleged interference from her mother-in-law. She quickly moved on and married hotelier and businessman, Lanre Gentry. The marriage yielded a son named, Juwon.
In 2017, she left Gentry due to allegations of domestic violence and infidelity. Five years later, she settled for a third marriage with movie promoter and businessman, Kazim Adeoti as his second wife.
Expectedly, Adeoti’s first wife, Olufunso kicked against it, accusing Mercy of snatching her husband despite the fact that they were family friends. Also, her estranged second husband accused her of having extra marital affairs with her now third husband while still married to him.
While Mercy denied that she was a family friend to the Adeotis, in response to criticism, Kazim argued that he had the right to marry a second wife as a Muslim, adding that contrary to Olufunso’s claim, Mercy did not ‘snatch’ him and that he was still married to his first wife. In spite of the drama, Mercy and Adeoti appear to be enjoying their newfound love.
Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome
Standup comedian, actor and businessman, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, also known as Alibaba, has had to try his luck with marriage twice in search of true and lasting happiness. This is despite fathering a few children from different women, one of whom was Ras Kimono’s late wife, Efemena Okedi.
Alibaba’s first marriage was to Patricia Leon, a stunning and elegant beauty from one of the Caribbean countries. Both Alibaba and Patricia were so into each other that they couldn’t be bothered about having a regular wedding party. They signed the dotted lines at a registry in Ibadan, Oyo State and began to live as man and wife. Unfortunately, the union which produced no child, collapsed like a pack of badly arranged cards.
In Patricia’s absence, Alibaba ran into the open arms of one of his baby mamas, Mary Udo Bassey, who is a topflight banking executive. Since they already shared a daughter named Eseophe Edidiong Brandi at the time, it was easy to get back into the groove and they quickly solemnised their union. In 2021, the marriage allegedly began to wobble over alleged infidelity, but the comedian quickly debunked it. Today, the 17-year-old marriage is blessed with two children.
Stephanie Okereke
Unknown to many, Nollywood actress, Stephanie Okereke has been married twice. She first got married in 2004 to Chikelue Iloenyosi, an ex-Super Eagles player and former national vice president of the National Association of Nigerian Footballers, but the union was short-lived.
One of the reasons the marriage ended was because Stephanie alleged that Chikelue was married to another woman at the time he was married to her. Chikelue denied this. Also, allegations were rife that he abandoned her on her sick bed when she had a ghastly motor accident that left her with burns all over her body and a fractured leg. The accident, which was a life changing one for her, affected not only her career, but other aspects of her life. The marriage was eventually dissolved.
In 2012, Stephanie married the CEO of DelYork International and founder of DelYork Creative Academy, Linus Idahosa, in Paris, France, at a lavish ceremony attended by members of her family and some Nollywood actors. They are blessed with two sons.
Toyin Abraham
Unknown to many, actress and movie producer, Toyin Abraham has been married thrice. In 2010, she got married to Adeniyi Solanke, who was based in the United Kingdom. But the marriage was short-lived. Toyin married her colleague, Adeniyi Johnson about three years later. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last up to two years.
Toyin accused Adeniyi of infidelity and later caught him in the act. She moved out of their matrimonial home and although he tried hard to win her back, including admitting to cheating on her on social media, she never looked back.
Soon after, she began a relationship with another colleague of hers, Kolawole Ajeyemi, which culminated in marriage. The two were already friends, but their friendship didn’t transition into full blown romance till she broke up with Adeniyi. In a recent interview, Toyin revealed that one of her greatest fears is the collapse of her marriage with Kolawole.
Segun Arinze
Actor, singer, producer and director, Segun Arinze, who is a reminder of the golden age of Nollywood, is also a victim of two marriages. He was first married to Nollywood actress Anne Njemanze. The marriage was short-lived and the divorce was finalised in 2010. The marriage produced a daughter who is now 25 years-old. Arinze remarried, this time to a lady named July. The marriage is blessed with three children in addition to his two other children from other women.
Richard Mofe Damijo
Richard Mofe Damijo, fondly called RMD, initially married late journalist, publisher and television host, May Ellen Ezekiel. Although she was older than him, they were both smitten with each other. The marriage produced no child at the time May Ellens passed on in 1996 due complications from fibroid. But she had a child from a previous relationship.
Four years after May Ellen’s passage, RMD met and married former television presenter, Jumobi Adegebesan. The marriage, which recently clocked 22 years, hasn’t been without its own fair share of drama, but they have both managed it effectively. RMD has grown-up children from other women. He is even a grandfather now.
Tola Odunsi
If there is one person who is happy to move on after the collapse of his first marriage, that person would be filmmaker, producer and director, Tola Odunsi. Currently in another relationship that may likely lead to a second marriage, to say that he relishes the company of his new love interest and has no qualms showing off how much she means to him, would be simply putting it mildly.
Odunsi, who is the CEO of Urban Vision Limited, used to be married to Onohi Iremiren, the founder of Eco Viridis Environmental Technology, an environmental and waste management company. They tied the knot in a fairy tale wedding in 2008, but ten years later, it became obvious they both had to go their separate ways.
Tola wasted no time falling deeply and passionately in love with actress Enado Odigie and while they are yet to get married, it is only a matter of time before they do.
Monalisa Chinda-Coker
Monalisa Chinda had a bitter experience in her first marriage to Dejo Richards. The film producer and talk show host was a readily available punching bag for Mr Richards until she walked out of the marriage for fear of losing her life. The marriage, which ended in 2009, produced a child before Monalisa called it quits. In 2016, she married Germany based businessman, Victor Tonye-Coker, who was her family friend, in Santorini, Greece.
Femi Adebayo
By every indication, it appears that Femi Adebayo made the best decision of his life when he opted to give marriage a second chance. Getting married has clearly affected his career positively.
Adebayo was already upwardly mobile and popular, no doubt, by the time his first marriage was heading to the rocks. But by the time he remarried, his acting career got an unexpected boost and assumed a different dimension.
The actor was first married to a lady named Khadijat, whom he dated when they were both students at the University of Ilorin. They dated for six years before getting married in 2004. The marriage broke down irretrievably five years later due to alleged infidelity on Femi’s part and Khadijat’s inability to cope with the demands of his job as an actor. The marriage was blessed with three children. Eight years after he ended his first marriage, Femi found love in the arms of Omotayo Aduke Meimunat and as earlier stated, everything about his career took a turn for the better. By October, the marriage will be seven years-old.
Patrick Doyle
Actor and broadcaster, Patrick Doyle, is not one to throw a pity party when things go wrong. After his marriage to Ireti, his second wife, crashed, he did not mourn but moved on quickly.
Within a short time afterwards, Doyle found love with another woman and wasted no time to remarry for the second time. The marriage, his third, took place at the registry in March 2022.
Doyle lost his first wife to sickle cell anaemia. He married her friend and budding actress, Ireti, whom he had also mentored in Nollywood. The marriage produced only a child before it packed up, although Ireti had an older child from a previous relationship while Patrick had children with his late wife, one of whom he also lost to sickle cell anaemia.
Tchidi Chikere
Although Tchidi Chikere is a gifted actor and movie director and has excelled in his chosen career, the same cannot be said of his marital life. He has been married twice and both marriages ended on a bad note. He first got married to Sonia in 2003. After 11 years together and three children, they went their separate ways.
No sooner did the marriage end than Tchidi began to flaunt actress Nuella Njubigbo as his new love interest. The couple got married in 2014 and in 2018, welcomed a child together. Unfortunately, seven years later, the marriage crashed.
According to Tchidi, Nuella simply took her things and sneaked out of his house without provocation. Following his two failed marriages, Tchidi has since found love again in the arms of another actress, Kenechukwu Ezeh Stephanie. He is yet to walk down the aisle with her.
Emeke Ike
Veteran actor, Emeka Ike’s first marriage to Suzanne of mixed parentage (Dutch/Nigerian) started blissfully. 15 years after, it became riddled with crises. Suzanne wanted out of the marriage because, according to her, her health was at risk. In July 2015, she filed for divorce. It was quite messy. She accused her estranged husband of domestic violence, torture and molestation.
Expectedly, Emeka denied the allegations and accused some of his colleagues, particularly Ibinabo Fiberesima, the then factional president of Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN at that time, of being behind his woes. Two years later, the court granted Suzanne’s request and their marriage was dissolved. Emeka was granted custody of their four children and their mother granted visitation rights to them. A year after, Emeka found love in the arms of a South African, Yolanda Pfeiffer and got married in a low-key ceremony. In 2019, they welcomed their first child together.
Foluke Daramola
Actress Foluke Daramola has been married twice, first in 2005 to Tunde Sobowale. Unfortunately the marriage collapsed in 2008 after three years allegedly due to domestic violence. Five years later, she met and married her current husband, Kayode Salako, a businessman and politician in 2013. She has two children from her first marriage and none with her second husband.
Although Foluke claims that her second husband is her soulmate and she is happy to have found happiness with him, the love and happiness however came at a cost. She was accused of being the reason her second husband’s first marriage of 13 years collapsed. Kayode was married to a certain Olubukola Olusunmola Salako, a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at that time. Foluke was accused and trolled for a long time for allegedly using ‘juju’ to snatch him.
Ibrahim Chatta
Actor and movie producer, Ibrahim Chatta, would rather not marry more than one wife at a time as his religion permits. He seems to be a one-man woman, but each time the relationship ceases to work in his favour, he moves on quickly to the next person. He has tried his luck with marriage thrice. First, with a colleague, Olayinka Solomon, who bore him a son before the marriage packed up in 2008. Olayinka accused him of domestic violence, womanising and collecting her money and upon sensing that she was broke, misbehaving and bringing women into their matrimonial home. Chatta struggled to defend himself. He accused his ex-wife of not staying at home or taking care of their child. His second marriage was with Salamatu, the daughter of a former governor of Kwara State, Shaaba Lafiagi, in 2012. But the union crashed without much ado due to allegations of infidelity and wife battery. Also, their marital challenges arose as a result of what the latter and her family described as the lowly lifestyle the actor lived. While Salamatu was a silver spoon kid, Ibrahim’s living conditions were no match for where Salamatu was coming from, prompting her to move out of his home. Ibrahim’s third shot at matrimony is to Olaide Aishat otherwise known as Lizzie Berry. The pair tied the knot in 2016.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
