Mr Ibu’s adopted daughter, Jasmine explains unique relationship with actor

Jasmine Okekeagwu, the adopted daughter of veteran comic Actor, John Okafor aka Mr Ibu, has opened up on her unique relationship with the actor and his family.

Mr Ibu and Jasmine Okafor share a unique relationship that many people find confusing.

Although she has been a part of the actor’s family since 2020, she became a household name in February 2023 after Mr Ibu’s second wife, Stella Maris, accused her of having an affair with her husband.

Months later, she would reveal that Mr Ibu was battling with a life-threatening illness. She shared videos of the actor and solicited financial assistance for his medical condition.

After several pleas for assistance, many people donated for the ailing actor, including the Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS), Foundation, which paid all of Mr Ibu’s medical expenses.

But on 6 November 2023, she also announced that one of the actor’s legs was amputated after undergoing seven surgeries.

Since Mr Ibu’s health crisis surfaced, his wife and adopted daughter have been at the forefront, tackling the situation head-on, soliciting aid, and keeping fans abreast of the surgeries and treatments the actor has undergone.

However, things went south in the actor’s family, as the actor’s wife and daughter have been at loggerheads over funds donated for Mr Ibu’s treatment, with the actor’s wife alleging that Jasmine hijacked his treatment funds.

It led to several allegations, as the actor’s wife and Jasmine took turns to accuse themselves on social media.

The police would later arrest Jasmine and Mr Ibu’s son, Daniel Onyeabuchi, in Lagos for allegedly defrauding the actor of N55 million.

Jasmine, in her latest video, disclosed that Mr Ibu adopted her as his daughter after the loss of her biological father many years ago.

She said her deeper involvement in the Okafor family began in 2020 when Mr Ibu sought financial assistance from her while she was studying in Cyprus.

In the viral video she posted on Sunday on her YouTube, she said, “I want to thank everybody, especially those who had faith in me, believed in me and patiently waited till this day for me to speak out.

“The past three months, I can’t say it has been hell, but I want to thank God in every situation. I said I wouldn’t talk about this issue until Daddy (Mr Ibu), gets back on his feet, and glory to God, he has been discharged and recuperating. A lot has happened, and I would like to shed more light on how I got involved and how things got to this point.”

“I am not talking because I need people to sympathise with me. I am talking because I feel like I have been abused and used, and I hope you guys are patient enough to listen to the entire story because it means a lot to me.”

“The first and most important question I get most of the time from people is, does she not have a family? Does she not have a parent? Leave this family alone.”

“So many years ago, my dad passed on. He was in the Nigerian army. He was a perfect friend to Mr Ibu, who is now a father figure in my life. Since then, he has played the role of father in my life. Not for once have I ever needed someone as a father figure, and he was not there for me.”

“Fast forward to 2018, I left Nigeria for greener pastures. Things were working out for me. I was doing good and fine. Later on, I relocated to Cyprus to study law. In 2020, Mr Ibu started writing to me on WhatsApp requesting financial assistance. I was shocked because he was doing very well before I left, if not at the peak of his career. He was doing well. He had exotic cars. Everything was okay for him.”

Jasmine said she had started aiding the ailing actor before returning to Lagos because Mr Ibu had not lived with his wife for two years.

“I asked why he asked for such money as N50,000 and N10,000. That was the first time he told me he was sick and was in Abuja. I asked about his wife, but he said she was in Lagos while he was in Abuja. He didn’t say much then.”

Jasmine described how she brought the actor’s wife to Lagos and said their relationship was initially cordial.