“No lights for two months”: The late Mr. Ibu’s children face school dropout as widow cries for help

 

The widow of Nollywood legend John Okafor, Mr. Ibu, says his children may drop out of school.

Bills unpaid, lights cut for 60 days, and school fees mounting. She’s now begging Nigerians for help.

—“We fetch water from the well”—

In a video released Wednesday with content creator King Mitchy, the widow opened up on the family’s hardship since Mr. Ibu’s death on 2 March 2024 at age 62.

“We fetch water from the well. Because I have not paid the house rent. And they have even cut my lights for two months now. No lights since. We have been like that. Every night we go to look for a place to charge our phones. And… It’s not easy,” she said.

Basic necessities have become unaffordable. The household has been without electricity for close to two months.

—School fees unpaid, children at home–

Her daughter praised their mother’s sacrifice: “I want to thank God for my mom. She tries everything she can to feed us, to pay our school fees, to make us happy.”

But the widow said education has now been disrupted.

“Right now, they can’t go to school again. I can even show you the message the school sent me today,” she said.

Outstanding rent and school fees are piling up, threatening to push the children out of school.

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—Plea for Nigerians to step in—

King Mitchy said the video’s purpose is to seek help for the family — to cover school expenses, pay rent arrears, and restore electricity.

For fans who grew up laughing at Mr. Ibu’s comic genius, the appeal is a stark reminder that life after the spotlight can be cruel.

The family that brought millions joy now spends nights hunting for phone charging points and drawing well water.

As the widow fights to keep her children in school, the question for Nigerians is: who will answer the call?