Who is John Okafor (Mr Ibu)?
John Okafor is a Nigerian comic actor, writer, producer, and filmmaker, popularly known as Mr Ibu. He is considered one of the funniest and highly paid comic actors in Nigeria.
John Okafor’s full name is John Ikechukwu Okafor. He was born on October 17, 1961, in Umunekwu village in Eziokwe, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State. The 59-year-old actor is a graduate of Mass Communication from the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu State.
Mr Ibu as he is fondly called joined the movie industry in 1978 working behind the camera as a continuity crew member. His debut movie was ‘Rolling Stone’ and he came into the limelight in 2004 after starring in the comedy blockbuster, ‘Mr Ibu’.
The actor has featured in over 300 movies, some of which were produced by him. Some of the movies he has produced and featured in include Agony (1998), Vuga (2000), Mr Ibu (2004), 9 wives (2005), Chelsea/Liverpool (2006), Basket Mouth (2007), Yahoozee Prophets (2009), Honeymoon Guys (2015), and many others.
John Okafor (Mr Ibu)’s relationship and marriage
John Okafor (Mr Ibu) has been married twice. He married his first wife in 1998, but things turned sour between them and they went their separate ways.
The comic actor revealed that his first marriage was an ugly experience and he had to stay away from women for six years after the marriage crashed. He, however, did not share exact details of his ordeal in the marriage with the public.
Mr Ibu’s second wife
Mr Ibu is currently married to Stella Maris Chinyere Okafor whom he refers to as ‘Chibest’ or ‘First Class’. Mr Ibu and his second wife got married in a traditional ceremony on May 25, 2010. They had their white wedding five years after the traditional event, in 2015.
The comic actor considers his new wife as compensation from God after the terrible experience he had had with his first wife.
John Okafor took to the media in May 2021 to celebrate 11 years of being married to his second wife, releasing different family pictures on his Instagram page.
How John Okafor (Mr Ibu) met his current wife
John Okafor revealed that he met his new wife in a very sad situation. The actor revealed that he met her crying over a supposed break-up text message she had received from her boyfriend of that time.
According to him, he tried consoling her and they later met coincidentally again at Port-Harcourt. He revealed that they started their love affair from there and he later proposed to her in a hilarious and dramatic manner which took her by surprise.
About John Okafor (Mr Ibu)’s first wife
There is little to no information about John Okafor (Mr Ibu)’s first wife. However, the actor made it known that she is also from his hometown in Enugu.
He also revealed that he married her under the influence of his mother and sisters who insisted he married a woman from his hometown. John Okafor made it known that the woman turned out not to be the right choice for him and they had to go their separate ways based on incompatibility.
The actor cum producer even alleged that his estranged wife was responsible for the kidnap of his new wife and late son sometime in 2011.
John Okafor (Mr Ibu)’s family kidnap saga
John Okafor’s wife and one-year-old son were kidnapped on January 4, 2011. According to the actor during an interview, he revealed that it was all his family members that were kidnapped at first.
He said the remaining members were released after the kidnappers realized that the Police Force was on their trail, though they held on to his wife and one-year-old son.
The actor revealed that the kidnappers released his wife and son after ten days, after a ransom of N4 million naira was paid.
Mr Ibu said the kidnappers at first demanded a ransom of N50 million naira but reduced it to the sum of N6 million naira after four days of incessant pleas and haggles. He ended up paying the sum of N4 million naira after much negotiation.
John Okafor revealed that it was during his discussion with the kidnappers that he got the scoop that his estranged wife was the brain behind the kidnap. Unfortunately, the actor’s kidnapped son died a year after the incident and it was later discovered after his death that he died of food poisoning.
About John Okafor (Mr Ibu)’s new wife, Stella Maris Chinyere Okafor
Stella Maris Chinyere Okafor is the new legally wedded wife of actor John Okafor a.k.a Mr Ibu. She is a proud mother of four children, one of which is late.
The mother of four is said to be an actress and a model from Mbaise in Imo State. Her husband refers to her as ‘Chibest’ or ‘First Class’.
Stella Maris is also speculated to be a great cook based on her husband’s description of her cooking skills. He made it known that she came up with a recipe known as ‘Ibu stew’ on her own.
According to him, the recipe is now enjoying patronage in Enugu, Awka, Lagos, and other parts of Nigeria. More detailed information about Stella’s background and educational qualifications is currently unavailable.
John Okafor (Mr Ibu)’s children
According to reports, John Okafor has a total of thirteen children, one of which is late. The actor had revealed that he had had some of the children before he got married to Stella, his new wife.
Mr Ibu and his current wife, Stella Maris Chinyere Okafor, have four children together, one of which is late, thereby making her children three, a girl and two boys. The children are named Chelsea Okafor, Emmanuel Mandela Okafor, and JayJay Okafor respectively.
Mr Ibu’s first daughter, Chelsea Okafor is said to share a striking resemblance with him, while his second son, Emmanuel Mandela Okafor was named after his first son who died in 2012.
However, the actor is also said to have a grown-up son who is married with two children. He also has other children from his previous relationships.
List of John Okafor’s children
- Chelsea Okafor
- Emmanuel Mandela Okafor
- JayJay Okafor
- and ten others.
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