Fresh drama as Mr Ibu’s wife, children trade allegations over financial help

The family of the late Nollywood actor John Okafor, known as Mr Ibu, has become the subject of public controversy following a viral video interview with his widow, StellaMaris Okafor, and three of her children. The interview, posted on June 24, 2026, featured StellaMaris appealing for public support as she detailed the family's financial hardships since the actor's passing. She stated the family had been without electricity for two months due to unpaid bills and was relying on well water for daily needs.

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I want to thank God for my mum. She tries everything she can to feed us, pay our school fees and make us happy.

Her daughter, Chelsea, corroborated the appeal, thanking her mother for her efforts in providing for the family. However, the interview has drawn mixed reactions and responses from individuals claiming to be Mr Ibu's family members. Comic actor Fred Ebere, also known as Tenkobo, shared a video featuring an audio recording allegedly from Valentine Okafor, who identified himself as Mr Ibu's eldest son. Tenkobo questioned the narrative that the late actor left no assets, stating he disagreed with the impression that Mr Ibu had not planned his life or invested well.

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I’m not angry that you came out to solicit help. But presenting it as if the man did not leave anything behind, did not plan his life well or did not invest is what I disagree with.

Tenkobo further claimed that Mr Ibu had invested in landed properties during his lifetime and raised questions about their current status. He also suggested that family disputes involving the late actor's relatives contributed to challenges surrounding his estate. Another video emerged from Somtochukwu Okafor, who also identified himself as one of Mr Ibu's sons. In this video, Somtochukwu alleged that StellaMaris had sold several of Mr Ibu's properties after his death without distributing the proceeds to some of his children.

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My father’s property in Lagos was sold for N60m, and she did not reach out to any of his children. When I contacted her to ask for money for my WAEC, she said she didn’t have any. She didn’t reply some of my messages and did not pick my calls.

Somtochukwu specifically claimed that StellaMaris ignored his requests for financial assistance, including funds for his WAEC examination fees. He further alleged that proceeds from the sale of properties in Lagos, Enugu, and Asaba, as well as funds donated by Nigerians during Mr Ibu's illness, were not shared with other family members. He cited the sale of a Lagos property for N60 million, stating that none of Mr Ibu's children were contacted. He also mentioned the sale of a house in Enugu for approximately N17 million, after which he received only N14,000, described as a "dash."

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The house in Enugu was also sold for about N17m. She later sent me only N14,000, saying she was just ‘dashing’ me the money. It was later I discovered that the property was sold for N17m. My father also had a p