Stellamaris Okafor, the widow of beloved comic actor John “Mr Ibu” Okafor, has strongly debunked allegations from her stepson, Somtochukwu, who accused her of selling off her late husband’s assets and hoarding the wealth.
The family feud spilled into the public eye after Somtochukwu, the late actor’s fourth child, released a viral video claiming his stepmother secretly auctioned family properties located in Enugu, Asaba, and Lagos. He alleged that Stellamaris kept all the proceeds from the sales for herself and her biological children.
Somtochukwu’s outburst followed an emotional interview that Stellamaris gave to popular content creator Mukoro “King Mitchy” Michelle. In that broadcast, the widow cried out for financial help, stating that she and her three children were facing critical hardships, including an inability to afford house rent and school fees.
Reacting to her stepson’s accusations in a fresh interview with King Mitchy, Stellamaris completely denied the claims of property squandering. She explained that the family only sold a single piece of land in their village, a decision she made in full consultation with the late actor’s other children.
The widow further revealed that the N17 million realized from that specific land sale went entirely toward financing Mr Ibu’s burial ceremonies.
“Before they sold the land, we were still in the village, and the children and family were arguing with me over the money given to me during the burial. They insisted I must share it, but I told them the money, which was N500,000, was for my children. Regarding the land in Enugu State, three of us sold it to fund my husband’s burial. We sold it for N17 million and used it all for the burial. Go and ask the children,” Stellamaris stated.
In a shocking revelation, the widow also claimed that throughout her marriage to the Nollywood star, he never informed her about his past marital history or his other children.
“My husband never told me that he was married before. Even his first son, I used to see him in the house, but my husband never for one day introduced him to me as his son. While I was married to him, he also impregnated another lady who gave birth to twins,” she revealed.
Amid the ongoing family drama, content creator King Mitchy confirmed that benevolent Nigerians have so far donated N7.5 million to support Stellamaris and her children during this difficult period.
The iconic comic actor, Mr Ibu, passed away at the age of 62 on March 2, 2024, at a hospital in Lagos following a cardiac arrest.
