‘My daughter made me book appointments to see her’ – Ilebaye’s father breaks silence after viral assault livestream video
Emmanuel Odiniya, father of former Ilebaye Odiniya winner Ilebaye Odiniya, has publicly addressed the viral altercation involving his daughter, insisting the incident was not driven by hatred but by longstanding tension within the family.
In a voice recording shared online over the weekend by Jeremiah Ocheme, Mr Odiniya said the confrontation stemmed from years of frustration over what he described as Ilebaye’s changed behaviour after winning the 2023 edition of the reality show.
“I want to put the records straight that what led to that incident was not that I don’t love my daughter. She is one of my best children,” he said.
Odiniya stated that he played a significant role during her journey on the show and rallied support to help her secure victory.
“During her time in the Big Brother Naija house, I contributed a lot. I stood by my daughter and made sure people voted for her massively. I used my influence and connections, including governors and other people, to support her until she won,” he stated.
According to him, her attitude allegedly changed after attaining fame.
“After she came out and won, she changed. Ilebaye stopped listening to me. I would book her appointments five to six times in a week and she wouldn’t give me audience. She stopped regarding me as her father,” he alleged.
Odiniya further accused Ilebaye of neglecting him despite his health challenges.
“I am very sick and needed to go for medical treatment in Dubai. I called Ilebaye to help me with some money and promised to refund her. She said she didn’t have money. But I saw her video spraying bundles of naira at a colleague’s wedding,” he said.
He also criticised some of her lifestyle decisions, particularly alleged cosmetic procedures.
“I warned her against getting cosmetic surgery — face reconstruction with fillers and BBL. She’s too young for that,” he said.
Odiniya additionally alleged that Ilebaye had physically assaulted him on previous occasions.
“She has hit me twice, and I didn’t do anything to her. One day she took an AC hanger and hit me with it till blood started gushing out of my body,” he claimed.
Speaking on the latest incident, he alleged that the reality star attacked him first before the situation escalated.
“In this recent incident, she insulted me, hit me first with a sea hanger, causing bleeding, pushed me, and then broke an electric lantern on my head,” he alleged.
He also accused her of negatively influencing her younger brother and interfering in family matters.
“She has also influenced her younger brother with drugs, and he was expelled from school because of it. She once advised me to divorce her mother,” he claimed.
Despite the allegations, Emmanuel Odiniya maintained that he still desires reconciliation with his daughter.
“I still love my daughter deeply. I want her to change and do better. I ask for prayers from Nigerians. The police have already intervened and settled the matter,” he added.
The controversy gained public attention after Ilebaye appeared in an emotional livestream from their Abuja residence, crying for help, which triggered widespread reactions online.
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command later confirmed that several family members, including Odiniya and Ilebaye, sustained injuries during the incident and were receiving treatment.
