“I Didn’t Sell The House Alone,” Mr Ibu’s Widow Insists
The widow of late Nollywood comic actor John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, Stella Maris Okafor, has dismissed allegations that she secretly sold her late husband’s properties and pocketed the proceeds, insisting that every transaction was lawful and backed by a court order.
Speaking in a video interview with content creator King Mitchy, she said the sale was handled jointly with the actor’s two sons, Valentine Okafor and Daniel Okafor, and that documents exist to prove it. “This is a court order. We—I didn’t, not me alone. My husband’s two sons, Valentine Okafor and Daniel Okafor, and I did it according to the court order. Every evidence is here. We sold the house. I am not the one that sold the house,” she stated.
Her response came after one of Mr Ibu’s sons, Somtochukwu Okafor, the actor’s fourth child, accused her of disposing of properties in Lagos, Enugu and Asaba without the knowledge of other family members and diverting funds donated during the actor’s illness. Stella Maris said the Enugu property was sold for N17 million, with the proceeds largely used to finance Mr Ibu’s burial after consultations among those administering the estate.
The dispute carries weight because of who Mr Ibu was. Born John Ikechukwu Okafor, he became a household name through his distinctive comic style across dozens of films spanning more than three decades. He died on March 2, 2024, at the age of 62 after suffering a cardiac arrest at a Lagos hospital. In 2023, he underwent multiple surgeries, including the amputation of one leg, after a prolonged illness that drew nationwide sympathy and financial support. He was buried on June 28, 2024, in his hometown of Amuri, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The renewed attention follows an emotional appeal days earlier. Stella Maris disclosed that the family had lived without electricity for about two months, depended on water from a well, and that the children had stopped attending school over unpaid tuition. In the June 24, 2026 interview, she said she and her three children, aged 10, 12 and 14, were struggling to survive, fetching well water and searching nightly for places to charge their phones.
The appeal drew real money. Content creator King Mitchy disclosed that Nigerians donated a total of N7.5 million to support the family. But it also reopened old wounds. An alleged first wife accused Stella Maris of selling the Enugu land for about N18 million without informing anyone and questioned her claim to be the only wife, naming other children she said were Mr Ibu’s.
On the donations, Stella Maris held her ground. She alleged that some family members demanded she share money given to her during the burial, which she refused because the funds were meant for her children’s welfare.
She also spoke of her livelihood and living arrangements, saying she runs an online jewellery business her late husband once discouraged because she was acting, and that she plans to leave her current residence, which she described as too expensive, having moved there only over security concerns and public pressure.
While she insists every transaction was lawful and court approved, Somtochukwu maintains the actor’s other children were unfairly excluded. With both sides yet to test their claims before any tribunal, the estate of one of Nollywood’s most beloved figures remains unsettled, and the dispute is likely to widen unless the family reaches a private settlement or the matter returns to court.