Entertainment
At 55, I married as a virgin –Osun newly-wed woman
A 55-year-old spinster, Esther Bamiloye, who recently got married to a 62-year-old bachelor, Isaac Bakare, in Osun State, tells BOLA BAMIGBOLA she’s grateful God finally answered her prayer to get married
What is your name and age?
I am Lady Evangelist Esther Bamiloye, now Mrs Bakare. I am the 55-year-old woman that got married recently for the first time in her life. My husband is Isaac Bakare, a 62-year-old artisan. Before we got married, he was never married too.
I have a Grade 2 certificate, but I am not into teaching. I am into garment production. I produce garment such as vests, sports wears, washable diapers and more.
Is there a story behind your long wait before getting married?
The devil had plans to stop me from getting married. When I felt I was ready, there was no man coming for me. I kept waiting on God for a miracle till I reached 55-years. I never dated anyone till I got married. Initially, I thought the problem was from my former church and I left, but I give glory to God. He did it for me in my new church and all the barriers were removed.
Were you under any kind of pressure from family, friends and others during your long wait for the right partner?
Things like that can’t be ruled out, especially when you see your mates or those younger than you doing well, getting married and you are yet to do yours, there will definitely be pressure from people around.
How bad was it?
It was tough. It was one of the reasons I left my former church and joined another church because the pressure was too much at a point.
What exactly did you do to survive the pressure?
I was able to withstand all the pressure because of my deep-rooted faith, belief and focus on Christ Jesus. Specifically, God gave me that grace, dedication and help from certain quarters also sustained me all through.
What was the strangest advice you received during this period?
I can’t count them, but none of the pieces of advice really scared me, except seeing those younger than me getting married on time, while I was waiting, almost wasting away.
Do you have stories of relationships that didn’t work out?
No, I did not at any point in time have any date before I eventually got married. I lived a decent life throughout my school days. I didn’t have any relationship before. I accepted Christ very early and when I was still a student, I didn’t even give any thought to it, as I knew I was not ready then.
When starting this particular relationship that culminated in a marriage, did you have fears that it might not work out?
No at all. My relationship was planned by God. The way God did it, it can’t be explained. It came into fulfillment just as God said it.
How did you meet your husband and what attracted you to him?
God had been revealing his picture and personality to me and speaking to me about him through some people for over three years. Exactly on the day it reached three years that I first got the revelation, God sent the message again through a prophet. The description of his looks, where he would come from and others matched perfectly when I set my eyes on him at Ilesa. My church is in Osogbo, but we had an event in Ilesa where I met the man destined for me.
God even revealed our wedding date, which was October 29, 2021. The period between our meeting and wedding was really short. I give God all the glory for remembering me after all these years.
What are the plans you have for your marriage, like number of children you want to have?
God does all things and one of the blessings of marriage is having children. One has to look forward to childbearing and be steadfast in things of God, and live a happy and fulfilled life. I don’t really have a specific number of children in mind. (We want) as many as God can give us and we can take care of.
Are you not scared of childbearing in view of your age?
I can’t be scared of such things. In fact, I am looking forward to having babies. God that has brought me this far will do it and make all things easy. He is God.
What will you describe as your most painful experience during your moments of waiting?
They were many. Imagine someone of that age not having a husband and not that I deliberately wish not to have. There were many days of weeping, begging God to have mercy. But today, I am happy because as great as the affliction was, I was still able to achieve a lot of things in other areas of my life.
Did you at any point lose hope?
Not really. But I was overwhelmed at some point. It was simply God’s grace that kept me going. I did not know any man till I got married to my husband. I married as a virgin.
After the long waiting period, now that you are married do you feel fulfilled?
Yes, I feel really happy and fulfilled. Words can’t really explain how I feel.
What about your parents? How did they feel about your case and how do they feel now?
As parents, they had no other option than to resort to prayers too and now that God has answered their prayers, they are happy and grateful. They never added to the pressure. They were praying for me.
What is your advice for those who are presently going through what you experienced before getting married?
I advise them to be steadfast in Christ. Although it is not always easy, but with prayers, steadfastness, faith and not being weary, all will end with beautiful testimonies. I am a living testimony and I can confidently say it that God answers prayers, even though it may take a long period of time.
PUNCH.
The widow and children of late Nollywood comic legend, , popularly known as Mr Ibu, have appealed for help as they battle severe financial hardship barely a year after his death.
Speaking in an emotional interview with content creator King Mitchy, the actor’s widow, Stella Maris Okafor, revealed that the family is struggling to survive and is at risk of losing their home due to unpaid rent.
According to her, electricity to their residence has been disconnected for about two months because of unpaid bills, forcing the family to seek places outside their home to charge their phones. She also disclosed that they now fetch water from a community well because they cannot afford to maintain the plumbing facilities in the house.
“We fetch water from the well because I have not paid the house rent. They have even cut my lights for two months now. No lights since. Every night we go to look for a place to charge our phones. It is not easy,” she said.
The situation has also affected the education of the couple’s three children, aged 14, 12 and 10. Stella Maris said the children have been unable to continue their schooling due to outstanding tuition fees.
“Right now, they cannot go to school again. I can even show you the message the school sent me today,” she said while displaying a notice from the school.
One of the children, a 14-year-old daughter who hopes to follow in her father’s footsteps as an actress, appealed to members of the entertainment industry for support.
“I want to thank God for my mum. She tries everything she can to feed us and pay our school fees. If you are in the industry with my dad and you see us now, please come and help us,” she pleaded.
Mr Ibu died on March 2, 2024, at the age of 62 following a prolonged illness that included multiple surgeries and the amputation of one of his legs. His treatment reportedly consumed much of the family’s resources despite public fundraising efforts mounted during his hospitalization.
The family’s current predicament has sparked widespread concern on social media, with many Nigerians calling on colleagues, fans and well-wishers of the late actor to support his widow and children during the difficult period.
Veteran Nollywood actor, Abdulsalam Taofeeq, popularly known as Tioroju Mondusi, has opened up about what he described as the most painful experience of his life, revealing that two of the five children he raised were not biologically his.
The actor made the emotional revelation during a recent appearance on the African A-List podcast, where he spoke candidly about the collapse of his marriage and the events that followed.
According to Mondusi, the betrayal remains the deepest wound he has ever endured, despite having forgiven his late wife.
“The person who hurt me the most in life was my wife,” he said. “The experience brought tears to my eyes. She is late now, and I pray God forgives her.”
Recounting the ordeal, the actor said that about five years ago, he returned from a film location to discover that his wife, who was heavily pregnant with their fifth child, had disappeared. Efforts to contact her were unsuccessful for two days.
When he eventually reached her, she allegedly refused to reveal her whereabouts. Concerned, he visited her mother’s residence, where he was informed that she had reportedly undergone a traditional introduction ceremony with another man.
Mondusi said he later came across photographs from the ceremony and confronted her. According to him, the situation took a dramatic turn when she questioned whether he was truly the father of the child she was carrying.
“She came back home and asked me who told me I owned the pregnancy,” he recalled.
The actor further alleged that after giving birth, his wife insisted that the child’s naming ceremony be held at his residence despite publicly claiming that the baby was not his.
Angered by the development, he said he involved the police and prevented the ceremony from taking place at his compound.
The dispute eventually ended up in court after his wife filed for the dissolution of their marriage. Mondusi claimed it was during the court proceedings that she admitted the newborn child and their third child were fathered by another man.
“She confessed in court that the third and the last child were not mine,” he said, alleging that she had maintained a long-term relationship with the man involved.
The veteran actor also disclosed that his former wife died last year after battling depression. He claimed that the man she left him for later abandoned her and returned to his own family.
The revelation has since generated widespread reactions on social media, with many expressing sympathy for the actor and reflecting on the emotional impact of broken relationships, infidelity and paternity disputes.
Speaking on News Central Television in a video shared on X on Thursday, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, House of Representatives aspirant described the incident as an abuse of power, adding that it raised concerns about citizens’ safety and data protection in the country.
Ike confirmed that he has initiated legal proceedings against Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
“It was shocking. It was so disturbing that I felt unsafe. I felt insecure. For the first time, I’m feeling like, is anybody safe in this country anymore? That kind of feeling, that’s what it was like to me.
He alleged that the incident reflected what he described as political recklessness and abuse of authority.
“It’s an abuse of power. It’s the extreme to radicalism, political radicalism. It’s basically telling Nigerians that we’re in charge, we know you all, (0:52) we’ll do what we want and we can get away with it. That’s very, very irritating and I feel very disturbed by this,” he added.
The actor said his legal team had already written to the parties involved, including Olayinka, INEC, his political party, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police, to formally document the complaint.
His death was confirmed on Tuesday by his colleagues, Funke Akindele, Bolanle Ninalowo, and Godwin Nnadiekwe, who claimed to be his ally.
Sharing on her Instagram story, Akindele wrote, “Hmmmmmm. Rest in peace, Alex. I tried to reach out to see you one more time, but I guess you knew best. May your kind soul rest in peace, Alex. ‘Ore mi like you fondly called me, I will always remember and cherish the good times we shared together. Rest in Peace, Alex.”
Meanwhile, Ninalowo, who is now in the United States, also mourned on his page, writing, “Rest on, Alex. May God heal your family and us all.”
Nnadiekwe, on the other hand, shared, “I’m struggling to find the words. This news has truly broken me. Nollywood has lost a rare soul, and I’m lost for words because this wasn’t the plan, Alex Ekubo. To think you already prepared your Will — It’s heartbroken, I can’t quite describe. Rest well, my friend.”
As of the time of filing this report, his family has not issued a statement on his death.
Recall that fans across social media recently expressed concerns for Ekubo following his first public appearance after months of social media silence.
The light-skinned movie star had been absent from Instagram since December 30, 2024, sparking speculation about his well-being.
However, a recent video that surfaced online brought him back into the spotlight, though it also raised further questions.
In the viral clip, Ekubo was seen interacting with a group of children, appearing noticeably slimmer and subdued.
The footage triggered a wave of emotional reactions from fans, many of whom noted a significant change in his appearance and questioned his wellbeing.
Before his demise, the actor dismissed marriage in favour of his quest to earn more money in the film industry.
In January 2023, his then-lover, Fancy Acholonu, in an interview, revealed that she dated the late actor for five years without them having any intimacy.
The US-based model also called off her wedding to Ekubo in December 2021, after apologising to the film star a year later for calling it off.
Acholonu affirmed her love for the actor, saying that “like our shirt says, Nothing makes sense when we’re apart @alexxekubo you still have my heart.
“I miss you, I love you, and I’m truly sorry for all the hurt & pain you and your family went through with our breakup.”
She noted that her actions were out of character, and she has realised she could have controlled her emotions and not been so overreactive.
However, in a post on his Instagram page, Ekubo implied that he was aware that some people were curious about why he has not yet been married.
The film star said he was more interested in making money. He urged people not to bother about his marital status.
The news of his passing was announced on Tuesday by a fellow actor, Tony Akposheri, in an Instagram post.
Akposheri expressed shock and sadness over the death of the actor, recalling their recent interactions.
He revealed that they had recently spent time together during the New Year, sharing memories and discussing future plans.
“Today, my heart is heavy. Davis Ofor, fondly known as Clarus from New Masquerade, is gone.
“We crossed into the New Year together, laughing, talking, sharing memories, and speaking hopefully about the days ahead,” he wrote.
“We spoke about life, about plans, about how far we had come. None of us knew that time was already counting differently for you.”
Describing the late actor as more than just a screen personality, Akposheri paid tribute to his character and impact.
“It is hard to believe that the voice I heard not long ago is now a memory. Hard to accept that someone so full of life can suddenly become a story we tell.”
He added, “Rest well, my friend. You came, you gave joy, you made your mark, and you will never be forgotten.”
Clarus gained prominence for his role in New Masquerade, one of Nigeria’s most popular television comedy shows, where his character became a household name.
Details surrounding the cause of his death were not immediately available.
Ofor rose to prominence for his role as Clarus in New Masquerade, a widely acclaimed Nigerian television comedy that aired on the Nigerian Television Authority and became a household favourite in the 1980s.
His portrayal of the comic character earned him national recognition and endeared him to audiences across the country, making Clarus one of the most memorable figures in Nigerian television history.
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