Ilebaye’s Mother Addresses Viral Audio Alleging She Disowned BBNaija Star

Lami Calista, mother of BBNaija All-Stars winner Ilebaye Odiniya, has addressed a viral audio recording in which she appeared to disown her daughter.

In the recording, Lami was heard warning that if she were to die, Ilebaye would have contributed to her death. Ilebaye, don’t look for me, because if I die today, you have contributed to my death. Hold onto your father that you love so much, she said. You’re always protecting your father… I am not your mother. This is the end—even if I die, don’t look for me. I disown you today.

However, in a now-viral video, Lami clarified that the recording was misunderstood. She explained it was a planned strategy between herself and Ilebaye, prompted by ongoing family tensions involving Ilebaye’s father. She insisted she could never truly abandon her daughter.

I want to clear up what surfaced yesterday about me abandoning her in that video. Yes, I made that video, but I had my reasons, Lami explained. It was a planned move between me and my daughter. Her father always claims that Baye is taking me away from his house.

Lami also alleged that Ilebaye’s father, Emmanuel Odiniya, drove their daughter out of the house and demanded N30 million before allowing her back in. “He told her that before she can come back, she has to give him N30 million. I pleaded with him to let her in, promising that she would give him the money later.”

She appealed to Nigerians not to judge Ilebaye, saying, Please, don’t judge her. That girl has been through a lot. I’m not here for pity; I just want to tell the truth. If you were in her shoes, I doubt you could handle what she’s going through. If she’s not active on social media, it’s because she’s dealing with serious family issues.

If she hadn’t called for help, she might not have survived that night. Thank you and God bless.

Last week, Emmanuel was involved in a heated confrontation with Ilebaye. The reality star was rescued from her home in the early hours of Saturday and taken to NNPC hospital in Abuja after a distressing video showed her crying for help with visible swelling on her face.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command arrested Emmanuel for alleged assault and has launched a thorough investigation into the incident.

Responding to the allegations, Emmanuel claimed he was provoked during a family confrontation, insisting his actions were driven by frustration over what he described as Ilebaye’s changed behaviour since her reality TV win, rather than hatred.