A fresh family dispute has emerged over the estate of late Nollywood actor Mr Ibu, as one of his sons, Okafor Somotochukwu, publicly accused his stepmother, Stella Maris, of sidelining other children of the actor while controlling and disposing of his assets.
Somotochukwu’s reaction followed a recent interview in which Stella Maris spoke about the financial hardships she and her children have allegedly faced since the comic actor’s death. According to him, the interview created the impression that her children were the only children Mr Ibu left behind, a claim he strongly disputed.
Introducing himself as the late actor’s third son and fourth child, Somotochukwu said Mr Ibu had several children and that all of them deserved to be acknowledged and carried along in matters relating to their father’s estate.
He alleged that after Mr Ibu’s passing, Stella Maris assumed control of the actor’s properties and finances, claiming that several assets were sold without the knowledge or involvement of the other children.
According to him, a Lagos property was allegedly sold for ₦60 million, while houses in Enugu and Asaba were also reportedly sold for about ₦17 million and ₦11 million respectively.
Somotochukwu further claimed that despite the alleged sales, he received little or no financial support. He recounted being given ₦40,000, which he was told was a gift, only to later discover that one of the properties had already been sold for millions of naira.
He also alleged that funds left in bank accounts, as well as donations reportedly contributed by Nigerians during Mr Ibu’s prolonged illness, were not shared with the rest of the actor’s children.
Expressing his frustration, Somotochukwu said he faced severe financial difficulties after his father’s death, claiming he was unable to settle his school fees and access his WAEC certificate.
“What hurts me most is that after keeping all these assets for herself and her children, she is now publicly presenting herself as the victim. Meanwhile, I struggled financially to the point that I could not even clear my school fees and access my WAEC.
“I am speaking out because I want people to hear my side of the story. I believe my father would not be happy if I remained silent while these issues continues like this.”
As of the time of this report, Stella Maris had not publicly responded to the allegations.
