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BETWEEN SAINT OBI’s MARRIAGE AND HIS DEATH

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2 years ago

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BETWEEN SAINT OBI’s MARRIAGE AND HIS DEATH

SAINT OBI– His social life was blunted. Perhaps by his reticent disposition.His persona, two dimensional.  To a distant public, he was upscale and cool .
His manly bearing spoke loud. His onscreen image ironically amplified some idiosyncrasies ;  heroics, romantic adventures and traits that did not gel with the mortal  privacy that eerily define his quiet and lonely life.
Saint Obi, real name, Obinna Nwafor, was shy, almost bordering on timidity and insecurity. He cherished the pleasantly tranquil interractions among a few friends. He would vanish at any outburst that could upset the poise of such small meetings. As he repeatedly told me, he just wanted to live a cool, quiet and fulfilled life.
But, has he lived  this cool and fulfilled life he envisioned ? I have my doubts.
I tell Saint’s story here with painful tears in my eyes ; because he was a star, a super star whose life turned out a gleam of irony .
 Yet, it was this stardom that fetched him his much professed financially strong and powerful wife . And their wedding, that solemn ritual  of love would drastically alter the cause of his life and tragically yank him off the creative community that threw him up for the wife to capture and indeed conquer.
 Their marriage was at best a  dramatization of love. It was quick. He barely told us that he found a wife . Then, the marriage happened.  It was something of a mystique, only those involved understood the histrionics that played out .  None of us who were his closest pals, who walked with him through the crucible to the crest of his career in Nollywood, none of us was invited. The distance between us and the guy I admirably called Saint of the Storm had begun . This gulf would widen with each year. We saw him perhaps once in a year after this marriage.
  
And life actually seemed to have given him a fair shake of the dice. He dressed well, drove big cars and  even his skin, in literal lingo, spelt wellness.
The Saint would be blessed with three beautiful children. But not on one occasion were his friends in Nollywood invited for christening or birthday. We were told that his wife was of the topmost hierachy in telecom giant, MTN . But even if their celebrations were designed to be a rendezvous of the elites of the technocracies that his wife chiefly belonged, you expected that Saint would reach out to a few of his fellow creatives, for even if they would  herald his small beginnings , there could be no tinge of shame to it because we all have our journeys and our stories. And even at that, the actor or cineaste in Nollywood is by no means poor.
But more tragic is the fact that his marriage did not only take away Obinna from his friends, it took him away from Nollywood.  Saint stopped acting, absconded from his career and perhaps his calling.
It would seem prognostic now. Yes, because I recall leaving my house in Lagos Mainland for his massive office in Lekki, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was about six years ago. There, I demanded to know why my friend abandoned our industry. He told me with his usual shy expressions that he wanted to focus on some other businesses and also to work behind the camera. Because his visage was unconvincing to me, I told him in stark terms, that whatever his new vision and pursuits, he must not abandon the trade that made him who he was.
It took another three years for Saint to return to his homies. But when he did, some of the deeply disappointed ones sniggered behind him. This was because the simmering rumours of cracks in his marriage had hit home. And though secretive in his ways, he knew it was time to open up. And he did. ” I do not know why my wife’s sibblings see me as a gold digger. They confront me, harass and fight me in my own matrimony. And my wife did nothing to stop them. I work hard, I earn my money . I have never depended on my wife “, he lamented, eyes blurred with tears. You could tell he was in deep pain. By the next visit, the Saint returned with a deep cut from knife on his left eye. His wife’s brothers, he said , scaled the wall fence of their house to attack him. They were captured by hidden closed-circuit television,  CCTV, installed for surveillance and security, he revealed.
He reported them at the police station and subsequently acquired a gun to defend himself. This effectively marked the beginning of the end of his marriage and perhaps Saint Obi’s long walk to a sad end. He moved out of his marital home to a new house to begin the reconstruction of his destiny, alone without his wife and worse still without his three beautiful children.
Meanwhile, his wife went to the police to defend her sibblings using her financial power to manipulate the cause of justice, Saint stated unequivocally. The wife also sued for divorce, not in Lagos, but in Ogun state. As Saint put it, ” It was to make the journey difficult for me. But I will not bend neither will I break. I will fight with my last blood to take custody of my children. They love me and they know it will be hard for me to live without them.The divorce is not an issue. My marriage has long been over “, he said with a mix of courage and a quaky heart that betrayed his distress.
BETWEEN SAINT OBI's MARRIAGE AND HIS DEATH
About mid last year, however, Obinna took ill. But he told no one. He simply became scarce. He was in and out of hospital, we would later learn. He sold two of his three big SUVs to take proper care of his health and to acquire six camry cars he’d use for Uber. But his vanishing health continued unabated. He seemed to have a premonition of his own passing as he wept repeatedly about not seeing his children. He emaciated. Life took a grim picture. When I saw him by chance in January 2023, the dude called Saint looked 15 years older than his age. His macho cut had shrunk. His fat wallet was gone. What was left was only his fat will. His eyes seemed lost in their socket. This would be the last time I would see him.
Saint snuck out of Lagos to hang in with his sister in Jos. He told no one.
But a month ago, in April precisely,  the once delightful actor who brought joy to many a home broke his icy silence. He called our mutual friend in US to give him a devastating message. He was on a deathbed, he  said and wanted our friend to pray for him. ” It’s not looking good, pray, pray for me “, he appealed passionately. His next call came on  May 1, 2023. This time to his mentor, the man who made him a star with his productions,  Zeb Ejiro, OON.  He told him with a wavering voice that he had had three surgeries but was still in hospital in Jos. He    averred again that his situation was not looking good,  that he is also in a deep pain, distressed that he could not see his children. But still he begged him not to tell anyone about his ailment. Such was the life of this creative hermit, a lonely trouper.
I was the first to hear the news of his death late on Sunday, May 7. Having confirmed it, I called Zeb Ejiro . ” I have a very bad news my brother, Zeb “, I began. ” What is it, what is it, “, he asked anxiously.  “A big star has fallen in Nollywood “. Zeb broke down in tears. I hadn’t said who it was. But sobbing helplessly now, he said, ” Don’t tell me it is Saint Obi “.
Sadly,  he was right.
May his soul find peace.
 *Zik Zulu Okafor, veteran journalist, Nigeria Media Merit Award Winner and multiple award winning film maker wrote from Abuja.*

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Sahara weekly online is published by First Sahara weekly international. contact saharaweekly@yahoo.com

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Fury Erupts in South Africa as Calls for Nigerian Pastor’s Deportation Intensify After Shocking Acquittal

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21 hours ago

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April 4, 2025

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Fury Erupts in South Africa as Calls for Nigerian Pastor’s Deportation Intensify After Shocking Acquittal

Fury Erupts in South Africa as Calls for Nigerian Pastor’s Deportation Intensify After Shocking Acquittal

 

Gqeberha, South Africa – Outrage is sweeping across South Africa following the controversial acquittal of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso on rape and human trafficking charges. The verdict, handed down by the Gqeberha High Court on Wednesday, has sparked a firestorm of criticism, with political groups and civil society demanding his immediate deportation.

Omotoso, who spent eight years behind bars alongside his co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho, was released after a lengthy and troubled trial. His sudden freedom has ignited protests, with many South Africans accusing the justice system of failing victims of sexual abuse.

The country’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has come under heavy scrutiny, admitting that delays in the trial caused key witnesses to withdraw, making it difficult to secure a conviction. Luxolo Tyali, the NPA spokesperson, stated, “Some witnesses no longer wanted to proceed with giving evidence, as they have moved on with their lives and do not want to relive their experiences in court.”

Despite the court’s ruling, reports indicate that authorities are considering deporting Omotoso back to Nigeria, though official confirmation remains pending.

Political Groups Demand Swift Deportation

Leading the charge for Omotoso’s removal is ActionSA, a political party founded by former Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba. The party issued a scathing statement, condemning religious leaders who exploit faith for personal gain and demanding the pastor’s immediate expulsion.

“ActionSA firmly opposes the infiltration of South Africa by dubious entrepreneurs and self-proclaimed ‘biblepreneurs’ who prey on hard-working and unsuspecting citizens,” the group declared.

The statement further emphasized, “Omotoso has no place in our country. He has been accused of heinous crimes, including human trafficking and sexual assault involving vulnerable women and minors.”

ActionSA has called on immigration officials to revoke Omotoso’s residency, place him on the national sex offenders’ register, and bar him from any position granting him access to vulnerable individuals.

A Legacy of Scandal and Allegations

Omotoso, the 66-year-old leader of Jesus Dominion International Church, gained notoriety for his lavish lifestyle and controversial ministry, which promised miraculous healings and prophecies. Arrested in 2017, he was charged with multiple offences, including sexual assault and trafficking young women, some of whom were members of his church’s gospel group, Grace Galaxy.

His church in Port Elizabeth was eventually shut down after mass protests, with enraged South Africans demanding justice for alleged victims. Unverified reports also suggested that one of the women who testified against him received death threats before the trial.

A Justice System Under Fire

Omotoso’s acquittal has reignited fierce debates about the effectiveness of South Africa’s judicial system in handling sexual abuse cases. Critics argue that the case highlights systemic failures, from witness intimidation to the slow pace of prosecutions, which often discourage survivors from seeking justice.

While Omotoso walks free, his future in South Africa remains uncertain. With public anger at a boiling point and mounting pressure on authorities, his deportation may be the only way to quell the growing unrest.

For many, however, the wounds left by this case may never fully heal.

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Dr. Chris Okafor, the distinguished Generational Prophet of God that I know, marks a year of existence …A Paradigm of Uniqueness

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21 hours ago

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April 4, 2025

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Dr. Chris Okafor, the distinguished Generational Prophet of God that I know, marks a year of existence ...A Paradigm of Uniqueness ~By Sunday Adeyemi

Dr. Chris Okafor, the distinguished Generational Prophet of God that I know, marks a year of existence
…A Paradigm of Uniqueness

~By Sunday Adeyemi

 

Dr. Chris Okafor, The Generational Prophet of God, my esteemed father in the Lord and great mentor, in whom I have immense confidence. It’s another year to commemorate your birthday; celebrating you is an ongoing celebration for me, as you are a rare gem and one in a million.

Dr. Chris Okafor, the distinguished Generational Prophet of God that I know, marks a year of existence ...A Paradigm of Uniqueness ~By Sunday Adeyemi

I am delighted to be of your Son, I join the family of the distinguished Popular Lagos Prophet Dr. Chris Okafor, My Father The Senior Pastor of Grace Nations International Church, aka Liberation City whose headquarters is located at Liberation close Oshofisan street by Ereke Bus-stop ojodu Berger Lagos Nigeria, in celebrating his birthday on every 4th of April. On this special occasion, I extend my warmest felicitations to him and his entire family

On this significant occasion, respected spiritual leader, may you recognize the profound impact your life has had on those around you and appreciate the love, support, and blessings you’ve received

It is thrilling for me to be part of this momentous celebration with all the Grace Nation Family, your family, friends, and well-wishers, and I wish you a birthday replete with love, laughter, and unbridled joy

On this day as you celebrate another year of impactful life, may the Almighty continue to lavish His blessings upon your new age, granting you increased prosperity, Grace, favor, mercies, and lasting blessings, and from this day forward, all reports and testimonies concerning you and your household shall be remarkably positive

Your outstanding characteristics have earned you a notable position among your contemporaries in Christendom, and I urge you to maintain this superior standard, sir

I offer my sincerest prayers that God will continue to bless you and show you kindness and graciousness now and forever. I wish you many happy returns.

I remain your dedicated and loyal Son, Sunday Adeyemi; publisher of Society Herald magazine and online.

 

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President Tinubu Congratulates Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing at 50

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2 days ago

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April 3, 2025

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Hon. Yakubu Kimba Leads Usman kadafur Delegation to Pay Sallah Homage and Condolences to Former Army Chief Buratai

President Tinubu Congratulates Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing at 50

President Bola Tinubu congratulates Aare Adetola Olaniyi Emmanuel-King, the Chairman and CEO of Adron Group, on his 50th birthday.

The President joins family, friends, and well-wishers to celebrate the entrepreneur and philanthropist who has remained steadfast in making affordable housing accessible to many Nigerians.

Aare Emmanuel-King, with over 62 estates and a workforce of 3,000, has received numerous chieftaincy titles and awards in property and estate development, including Lagos State Man of the Year (2019) and Property Developer of the Year (2021).

President Tinubu commends the real estate developer for his contributions to the government’s vision of reducing the nation’s housing deficit.

The President wishes Aare Emmanuel-King joyful celebrations and continued success in his endeavours.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

 

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