In an interview she granted to MediaRoomHub TV recently, the superstar Nollywood actress revealed the real reasons behind her failed marriage to her ex. husband. If you recall, rumours had been swirling about trouble in Tonto’s paradise, and most fans (me in particular) did not know what to make of the various claims and counter claims from both her camp and her ex. husband’s family ever since the story of their split was eventually confirmed. But watching said interview, I realized that the circumstances Ms. Dike had to grapple with were unlike those faced by many women in Nigeria.
She recalled (with tears) how her husband abused her. Her abused her physically, she said. And it did not mater that she was a celebrity. As she narrated the ordeal, she showed some pictures and videos on her phone, dealing the various wounds she sustained from said abuse. Meanwhile, some evidence of the abuse could still be seen on her legs as she sat there in the interview chair feeling really shaken.
As the interviewer probed for details, Tonto Dike had to make it clear that the essence of granting the interview was not to rob her ex. husband in the mud and make him look horrible. Instead, she just wanted to share the story and let everyone understand that domestic violence is real. And to be fair, domestic violence is real; especially so in Nigeria. It is even worse off for poorer women. And if somebody as wealthy and famous as Tonto Dike could be abused by her husband, I can only imagine the fate of the other women who are less privileged.
Some people may doubt the authenticity of Tonto’s claims however. I mean…she is known to have been controversial in the past. She knows this, and also knows that some malicious people are busy spreading bad stories about how she is a bad mother to her son. But what she also has is evidence detailing the abuse she has suffered in the hands of her ex. and how all the rumours about what a bad mother she supposedly is are all desperate effort by some malicious folks to discredit her. According to her, the Nigerian Embassy in Ghana has a video recording of her running to them for refuge the day her husband nearly killed her in Accra. She also revealed that she would have put the video out for all to see if not that she was so badly abused and dehumanized.
Tonto revealed a lot of things that cannot just be swept under the rugs and disregarded. Being aware as I am about the level of injustice that go on in this country, I realize how much powerful people tend to dehumanize others because they think they can get away with it. In this case, Tonto ex. husband (Oladunni Obasanjo Churchil) is the powerful one. He is a successful young CEO from a wealthy background; he is ex. President Olusegun Obasanjo’s nephew. In any case, I can only wish Tonto well and hope that Oladunni get better.
NOTE: I believe that it is only cowards that abuse those whom they are stronger than. It doesn’t matter whether you are a husband/wife abusing your spouse, or you are someone in a better position taking advantage of those below you. Once you intentionally or “unintentionally” abuse those below you, you are a coward!
