Fresh Family Feud Erupts as Mr Ibu’s Son Accuses Widow of Mismanaging Late Actor’s Estate

A fresh controversy has erupted within the family of late Nollywood comic actor John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, after one of his sons publicly accused the actor’s widow, Stella Maris Okafor, of mismanaging his estate and excluding his children from previous relationships from benefiting from their late father’s assets.

The latest dispute comes more than two years after the veteran actor passed away in March 2024 following a prolonged illness that resulted in the amputation of one of his legs before his death.

The family disagreement gained public attention after a video surfaced online showing Stella appealing for financial assistance, claiming she and her three children were facing severe economic hardship.

Speaking during an interview with content creator KingMitchy, the widow painted a grim picture of the family’s current living conditions, revealing that they had been without electricity for nearly two months due to unpaid utility bills.

According to her, the situation has forced the family to rely on well water for daily use and seek alternative locations to charge their mobile phones each night.

She also disclosed that financial difficulties had prevented her children from continuing their education, saying she had received messages from their school over unpaid fees.

“We fetch water from the well because I have not paid the house rent. They have even disconnected our electricity, and we’ve had no light for almost two months. Every night we look for somewhere to charge our phones. It has not been easy.

“Right now, the children cannot return to school. I can even show you the message the school sent me today,” she said.

Her emotional appeal, however, triggered a strong reaction from Somtochukwu Okafor, who identified himself in a video circulating on social media as Mr Ibu’s third son and fourth child.

Rejecting Stella’s claims, Somtochukwu alleged that his stepmother had taken full control of the late actor’s estate and denied his children from previous relationships access to properties and financial resources left behind.

He further claimed that Stella had sold one of Mr Ibu’s houses in Lagos for ₦60 million without informing or consulting the other children.

According to him, the proceeds from the sale, along with donations and other financial support received after the actor’s death, were never shared with the rest of the family.

“My late father left many properties for all his children, but his wife decided to take everything for herself and her own children. Her actions are becoming something else.

“My father left many properties for all of us, yet she took control of everything. She even sold my father’s house in Lagos for ₦60 million without reaching out to any of his children,” he alleged.

Somtochukwu also claimed that children Mr Ibu had before marrying Stella had been completely excluded from decisions concerning the late actor’s estate.

As of the time of filing this report, Stella Maris Okafor has not publicly responded to the latest allegations made by her stepson beyond her earlier interview in which she maintained that she was facing serious financial challenges.

The conflicting claims have generated widespread reactions on social media, with many fans of the late actor calling on the family to resolve the dispute amicably while urging transparency in the management of Mr Ibu’s estate.

The allegations made by Somtochukwu remain unverified, and no official court documents or legal findings have been presented publicly to substantiate the claims regarding the management or disposal of the late actor’s assets.