Nigerian comedian Tenkobo has publicly criticized Stella Maris Okafor, widow of late veteran actor Mr Ibu. He accused her of exploiting her late husband's name to solicit money online.
Stella appeared in a video shared by influencer King Mitchy on Wednesday. She was asking the public for financial assistance to pay rent and school fees for her children.
Tenkobo, who was Mr Ibu's close friend and colleague, didn't hold back his anger. He claimed she and other family members were using the actor's fame to extract funds from well-wishers.
The comedian said Mr Ibu's investments—including houses and land—had been sold off. He demanded answers about what happened to the money from those sales.
"What if Ibu wasn't an actor?" Tenkobo asked pointedly. "Does being married to a legend mean you shouldn't work or hustle?"
Tenkobo recalled a phone conversation with Mr Ibu's eldest son, Valentine Okafor. Valentine is in his late 30s or early 40s, according to the comedian.
"When I saw Stella's video, I got upset," Tenkobo explained. He immediately called Valentine to discuss what he'd witnessed.
The comedian described his deep connection with Mr Ibu over many years. "Our relationship grew from colleagues to friends, then to father and son, and finally to partners," he noted.
According to Tenkobo, this wasn't Stella's first such appeal. He said she'd made similar videos even when Mr Ibu was still alive.
"I asked him about it back then," Tenkobo said of his earlier conversation with Mr Ibu. "We discussed it thoroughly and everything was settled."
Tenkobo challenged Stella's claims about the family situation. She'd said Chelsea was her only daughter, but he disputed this entirely.
"Mr Ibu had many children," he insisted firmly. "His eldest daughter is in her late 20s and carried his photo frame at the funeral."
He questioned why Stella claimed inability to pay rent if the late actor had planned his finances well. Mr Ibu had earned substantially from Nollywood over his long career.
"The real problem Mr Ibu faced was family issues," Tenkobo stated bluntly. "His immediate brother, wives, and sons caused him grief throughout his life."
According to Tenkobo, Mr Ibu invested his movie earnings wisely in property. But those investments have since disappeared.
"Who sold all his lands and houses?" Tenkobo demanded. "Did he sell them before dying?
Or did you all sell his properties after his death?"
He pressed further on accountability. "After selling everything, what happened to that money?
Where did it go?"
Tenkobo acknowledged that seeking help isn't necessarily wrong. But he objected to the narrative that Mr Ibu left nothing behind.
"Don't present it like he was unprepared or didn't invest wisely," he urged. "That's simply not true based on what I know."
