INTERVIEW: EXCLUSIVE: How I met Oritsefemi, his role in our divorce

Singer Oritsefemi’s ex-wife, Nabila Fash, has shared an insight into their seven-year marriage and the factors that led to their divorce.

Nabila, whose real name is Funke Fasanya, is a public relations (PR) expert who runs Diamante Global Ventures Ltd, a multi-enterprise PR and business consulting company.

In a recent interview with Chude Jideonwo, Oritsefemi shared some damaging information that has stirred controversies and earned him lawsuits.

In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Nabila explained how she met the ‘Double Wahala’ hitmaker and detailed his role in their divorce.

Excerpts:

PT: How did you meet your ex-husband, Oritsefemi?

Nabila: I met Femi while I was working at MultiChoice. One of their products was celebrating a fifth anniversary, and they decided to do a five-city tour with Femi as one of the headliners.

We had various performers on that tour, including Daddy Showkey and Helen Paul. Oritsefemi was the leading musician, and that’s how I met him. It was funny because my job was to look after everyone travelling with us. I didn’t know Femi at all before the tour.

I was simply doing my job, which often involves working with different musicians. I didn’t think much of it, and even when he talked to me, I didn’t consider him someone I could date.

To illustrate how unexpected this was, he invited me to another club during the Abuja tour after-party. Thinking we were just having fun, I got into the car with him. However, my colleagues, including his manager Adepitan Yusuf, known as Danku, told me to get out of the car because he couldn’t take me anywhere.

Despite this, Femi persisted in trying to get my number. I didn’t give it to him, but he managed to find it and sent me a message. I keep records of everything and still have the first message he sent, introducing himself as Oritsefemi. We started talking, and he mentioned he lived in Lekki Phase 1, just like me. Our homes were only a few minutes’ drive apart.

He promised to call me when he got to Lagos and visit me, which he did. From the day he came to see me, Femi never left. His friends often came to my place to see him. So, tell me how the story changed and how Caroline became part of this story.

So, when did my friend start claiming that my success depended on him? Femi said that once he came to my place, he didn’t return to his house. Even his friends looked for him at my place. I would go to work and leave him at my house. His kids also moved into my home and stayed with me.

This is the truth, and Femi knows it. You can see who is being honest and who is lying.

PT: Were you tricked into marrying him?

Nabila: I needed to find out where his statement about Caroline Danjuma came from. That interview itself is something else. It took me a while to watch it. When they first posted it, they were doing some cuts and joining in the trailer, and I believe they just wanted some action for the video. He said I was forced to marry him. It’s crazy. Everybody who knew what happened to him is still alive. They’re not dead.

I introduced Caroline Danjuma to him as my friend, and how can someone I introduced as my friend have the power to influence his decision about marrying a person? Right now, I praise him because when people lie and are comfortable with their lies, it’s a problem. His children were there at that point. Everything he said about Caroline Danjuma being an influence in the marriage is false.

The reverse is the case. Caroline never wanted me to marry him. If the truth should come out, Caroline never approved of him, and that’s why he and Caroline always had problems. Caroline doesn’t think I should marry him.

That’s the truth. Caroline has said this to his friends before. There are witnesses. She never wanted me to marry him. So, will someone who doesn’t want you to marry someone convince you to marry that person?

PT: How did your marriage to Oritsefemi end?

Nabila: I found out he had another child who was over a year old, and I didn’t know anything about it. I only received a text message from the child’s mother the day he was travelling.

He told me he met the person before I knew him, and she didn’t even tell him she was pregnant. We talked and decided to let it go, agreeing it would never happen again. I told him my deal breaker: if you ever have another child outside this marriage, that will be the end.

I’m sure that’s why he kept it a secret from me that he had another child from another woman—he knew it would end the marriage. Unfortunately for him, I found out the day he was travelling. I did my background check and learned how and when it happened, and the baby was already over a year old.

I was like, ‘Hell no, I’m not doing this anymore. The marriage is done.’ The day I found out was the day I filed for divorce, and I can show you evidence of this because he had to travel that night.

He travelled that night and returned in a suit the next day, trying to justify the girl’s actions that had broken our marriage. He said a lot and sent messages begging for forgiveness, but I had decided.

He was aware of the divorce. He even said I went ahead and filed for divorce before I knew the truth. So, that’s what happened.

PT: But Oritsefemi said he wasn’t aware of the divorce.

Nabila: I only want to say a little because I have my legal counsel, and I’m supposed to speak only if I’m with them. I don’t want to contradict anything, but I can tell you that my lawyer served him the notice he received when I filed for divorce. He replied to the petition and said the court should proceed because he was uninterested. He needs to understand how the law works in this country.

If you have a petition and ignore it, it doesn’t mean there’s no case. There is a case. My lawyer always contacted him, informing him of the court proceedings, but he ignored it. He was notified each time he was supposed to be present but chose to ignore it. Maybe he felt he could ignore it, thinking there wouldn’t be a divorce. He told the lawyer when he was served.

His legal counsel lawyer was aware he was served the petition. They were supposed to be present in court. He was constantly informed of the court proceedings regarding the divorce.

But he never honoured any of the proceedings. He was only present once the judgment was made. Once a decision is made, the court only notifies people indirectly. The court doesn’t go to them and say, ‘You are divorced.’ Nobody does that because he is the respondent, not the petitioner. I am the petitioner and the one who paid to get divorced. So, once the judgment is made, they let me know the outcome. This is the reason. If he is claiming he didn’t think we were divorced, it is because he was served the petition but failed to appear to answer questions.

PT: Oritsefemi accused you of holding onto his property.

Nabila: That’s a lie. I have evidence. I keep asking him when he wants to take his property, and I have a message he sent to me to give access to the person who came to pick it up. These lies are a big problem.

It’s no longer a regular thing anymore. When you lie about things that have evidence, then that’s a problem. I will share with you his message the day he said somebody was coming, and I took my time. I don’t speak to him on the phone, but that day, just so that we are on the same page and he doesn’t say I gave the property to the wrong person, I put him on a call and asked if you sent someone to come and pick off his stuff, and he said yes, give the person access.

Everything we’re saying now might entertain the world, but Femi should also remember that he is not telling the truth. You should not seek public sympathy at the expense of somebody else’s character. This is a character assassination.

Don’t do that, Femi. I’m talking to you directly through this medium. Now, please don’t worry about that. It’s a character assassination. You’re lying, and you know that you are lying.

PT: Do you possess any properties belonging to Oritsefemi?

Nabila: He instructed someone to pick up his belongings in December, which that person has done. The only item remaining in my compound is his car, a Peugeot 205, 206, or similar model. I am still determining the exact model. Additionally, I do not possess the key to the car; the person who has his belongings does. I am doing him a favour by storing it.

His car occupies valuable space in my compound, and I have contacted the individual to arrange its retrieval. Unfortunately, the vehicle failed to start the last time they attempted to collect it. This issue needs to be addressed. Once again, I would like to reiterate that I do not have the car key; it remains with the individual with his belongings.

PT: How do you justify your ex-husband’s accusation that you sent his children onto the street?

Nabila: Oh my God. That’s a significant fabrication. So, I accepted two of his children, whom I knew of when I got together with him.

I felt like, you know, what is yours is mine, and everybody knows my relationship with his children. At the beginning of the marriage, I accepted that the two children live with us.

So now we are not together anymore, but you still want to leave me responsible for your children. Where is that done? The children you’re talking about are not minors. Let’s get that straight. They are adults.

When we were not together anymore, I was still with the kids. So, I have to move on with my life at some point. I told them that their father and I were not together anymore. So that means I can’t house you because tomorrow he will claim I kidnapped you (referring to Oritsefemi’s children).

That would have been the next word he would have said, or he would have said something like, she now turned my children against me.

PT: Are you cordial with your ex-stepchildren?

Nabila: Everybody knows how much I love his children and how much I invested my energy and time to care for them because they are women. I care for them to ensure they become fine young ladies tomorrow. I’m happy because, for everything that Femi says, there is evidence to counter them.

When I went for a job, I told his first daughter, Patience, that she had to leave and asked her where she would go. She said she would go to her grandmother’s (Femi’s mum) or her friend’s home.

His second daughter, Esther, with whom I am close, was still in my house two months later (after her marriage to Oritsefemi crashed); he did not know.

When it was time for her to leave, we got on a call with her mum, and her mummy told her where she was. She spoke to her mummy and told her she was coming. I called someone close to Femi, who is also close to me. That’s the same person who came to get Femi’s things from me. His name is Charlton.

I called Charlton. Charlton has a car. I told him that Esther needed to go to her mummy’s. Can you help me take her there? How much will it cost? I paid with my money and did not send his children outside or to the street. I paid my money for Esther’s trip to his mother’s side. Charlton is a family member.

Charlton carried the same girl (Esther) from her mother’s side to meet her father, Oritsefemi, in Lagos. So, Charlton came to the house in an excellent car with AC. I paid, and I gave Charlton some money. Esther put her things in the car. We both hugged each other. It was like a sad goodbye.

I knew I was going to say that we would be communicating. She was going to her mummy, and Charlton took her to her mum. While on the road, they called me and gave me feedback. Esther is still alive. Just last week, Esther still did a question-and-answer on her Instagram.

I can screenshot what she said when people asked her, ‘What is your relationship with your stepmother?’ She said, and I quote, ‘My stepmom is my bestie—nothing can change that.’

If you put a child out on the street, how do you remain the child’s best friend? If you chase a child out to the street, how does the child say nothing can change the relationship she has with her stepmother?

I’m a law-abiding citizen and a genuinely lovely person, and this niceness welcomed the kind of people I wouldn’t have any reason to meet in my life. That is what has put me in this kind of shit.

PT: Oritsefemi alleged that you said he is not man enough to father a child.

Nabila: I don’t usually do this, but I must answer your question. Let’s discuss this medically now. Is it possible for someone to experience twenty-one miscarriages within five years? Doesn’t the body typically recover before another pregnancy? What constitutes miscarriages is what I’m curious about.

Because if I had 21 miscarriages, I don’t think I would be here speaking to you in the manner I am. If I had 21 miscarriages, I wouldn’t be considered normal. Does he (Oritsefemi) have 21 medical reports for these miscarriages we’re discussing? I was in London when this situation unfolded, this whole interview scenario, and I reached out to the miscarriage association in the United Kingdom (UK) to converse with them.

Femi doesn’t comprehend that miscarriage is a significant loss. Individuals who are grappling with this issue require mental and emotional support. So, he’s inadvertently directing me toward the direction I want to take my foundation.

Because of what he has done, I’ve had people reach out to me, many who have only experienced a single miscarriage and are still recovering. So, imagine when someone alleged that someone suffered 21; that person would likely be in a psychiatric facility. He’s attempting to assert that I lost 21 children within five years. Any reasonable person would recognise that’s a significant exaggeration.

So, he was tallying, like saying, “Today she had miscarriage number one, tomorrow, miscarriage number two.” Are you rational if you’re doing that and claiming to be in a marriage? So, someone needs to mature here. And does he also know that it is unethical? I’m not sure if there’s a law for it, but discussing anyone’s medical issues in public is unacceptable.

The lawsuit arises because you’re not permitted to discuss anybody’s medical issues, no matter the circumstance. Even if that person has a headache, you can’t go online to discuss it. Medical problems are off-limits.

PT: Your ex-husband claimed you sent twenty of your friends to beat him up.

Nabila: Have you seen Femi before? No woman can beat Femi. I don’t even have twenty friends. This is also why my lawyer wrote to him: he has to list the names since it’s a criminal offence.

He should be able to report them to the police immediately and say, you know, I have been assaulted, and you should get evidence. Twenty women will not pounce on you, and you will have a mouth to say that they beat you. You must have medical reports to confirm.

So, I need to know if maybe I was sleeping when they came. I don’t understand. Did they find me somewhere where they were beating him? So he needs to provide the names of the so-called 20 friends. He needs to provide their names because right now, those 20 friends must face the law, and the crazy thing is when he keeps talking; he keeps implicating others.

He said one of his friends witnessed it. Will a friend of his witness an assault and allow it to go like that? Like a friend will be there watching 20 women beating him. At least the friend can prevent that.

So, no matter what, they can’t put a hand on my husband. It’s the same way Femi would never allow anybody to touch me when I was his wife. So, how can I enable people to beat him? I would want the law to take its course on those women. Femi needs to produce the names of those 20 friends. The date it happened, and he had also implicated someone.

He said somebody is a witness. Then also the name of the person he called that is a witness, all the people, as we have to go to the police to report this assault on the great Femi.

PT: Your ex-husband said your lawyer served him no retraction statement and assaulted him. Are you aware of these allegations?

Nabila: When the fourteen-day ultimatum elapses, we will head to court.

All the allegations are untrue; they are all lies. When did I ever say he could not impregnate a woman? This is somebody who had two kids before I met you. So, when I hear some people saying I said in an interview that he is impotent, please, I need them to bring out that interview where I opened my mouth to call a man I married impotent.

That’s what I said; people are so myopic that they wake up in the morning and follow a narrative. There was nothing like that. I never said that.

PT: What are your final words?

Nabila: When it was good, it was good, and it’s a shame it had to end. We don’t have to make ourselves enemies. I’ve moved on with my life, and I’m doing wonderfully. I expect the same from the other party.

There is no point in tarnishing the other person’s image because you seek public sympathy. Let’s not lie. If public sympathy is gone, people will use your situation as entertainment, and afterwards, what do you return to?

Will these same people download your music when you release new songs? Therefore, people need to be very careful about how they portray others.

I’ve never been a wife, but I did my best in that marriage. I looked after his children like they were mine. I looked after him and ensured I cared for everything that concerned him, his work and everything.

I was involved; I was everything. At some point, I was acting manager and acting nurse—I was everything in the marriage at some point. I would return from work, even though we had a chef; I also cooked, ensuring everything was good.

Sometimes, I would review contracts and create invoices for him; you do all these things when married to your partner.

I tried to bring stability into his life. I even got a manager for him, somebody I thought would be able to represent him professionally, but what did he do to the person? He went online and defamed the person. I was still with the person in London a few days ago.

He came online to say that he was sleeping with her. Like, which responsible married man would even be sleeping with his wife’s friend and come online to brag about it? So you see where we are different.

But he came online to brag that he was sleeping with a manager I gave him to help enhance and build his career. The internet never lies. It’s still on the internet.