Lami, the mother of Big Brother Naija All Stars winner, Ilebaye Odiniya, has come out strongly to debunk claims made by her ex-husband that their daughter is involved in drug use and influenced her younger brother.
In a tearful chat with a news outlet, Ms. Lami described the allegations as “false” and accused Emmanuel Odiniya of fabricating stories to damage their daughter’s public image.
The controversy erupted after a viral voice recording by Ilebaye’s father, Emmanuel Odiniya, surfaced online. In the recording, he alleged that Ilebaye introduced harmful substances to her younger brother, which reportedly led to the boy’s expulsion from school. He further claimed that his daughter once advised him to divorce her mother.
Fighting back through tears, Ms. Lami firmly denied the accusations:
“Ilebaye is not on drugs and she did not introduce her brothers to drugs. My not being in the house is because of the emotional abuse from the father always. We have been abused constantly in that house. Ilebaye is going through a lot, emotional abuse from the father. She is not on drugs.”
She added that her ex-husband’s anger towards Ilebaye is because she refused to hand over all the cash prize to him and also refused to give him N50 million after she refused to hand over all her money to him. She said contrary to his claim, Ilebaye has sponsored his medical trips to India and has spent nothing less than N35 million on him
‘’When Ilebaye came out of the house, she gave the father N7m when he was going for his treatment in India. This was in 2023. Even when he was going last year, she gave him N5 million as well. The father still called and said the money wasn’t enough. Ilebaye had to send extra N3 million to him. That is asides the N1 million she gives to him’’
She stated further that Ilebaye pays the school fees of her two young brothers and that the fees runs into millions of Naira.
‘’Must she give him all the money? How much did he spend when she went to Big Brother? I am surprised he is putting his eyes on the money of the girl. I am surprised! He has money. Why is he putting his eyes on the one the child has? Is he not ashamed? If he is complaining, what of me the mother? This girl wanted to open a shop for me, the father refused, saying until he gives permission, she has no right to open a shop for me. Did I complain? Have I one day complained? I am sorry to bring this out but the truth has to be said’’
She argued that the timing of the claims appears suspicious, suggesting her ex-husband is trying to play the victim and deflect attention from recent videos that allegedly showed Ilebaye with a battered face following a physical altercation at his residence on Saturday, May 9.
Ms. Lami expressed deep trauma over the public dispute, particularly a father speaking against his own child and trying to move attention away from the fact that he abused her.
