Veteran Nigerian actor, Abdul Salam Taofeek, popularly known as Tioroju Mondusi, has opened up about what he described as the most painful experience of his life.
The actor shared the emotional account during an interview on the African A-List Podcast, where he reflected on his late wife and the circumstances that led to the collapse of their marriage.
According to Taofeek, the incident remains the deepest hurt he has ever experienced, adding that despite the pain, he has chosen to leave the matter in God’s hands.
He disclosed that about five years ago, he returned from a movie location and discovered that his wife, who was then nine months pregnant with their fifth child, had left home without informing him.
The actor said repeated attempts to reach her were unsuccessful until two days later when he finally got through to her on the phone, but she allegedly refused to disclose her whereabouts.
Taofeek explained that he later visited her mother’s residence to make inquiries and was shocked to discover that she had reportedly undergone an introduction ceremony with another man who was already married and had four children.
He said the discovery led to a confrontation, during which his wife allegedly informed him that the pregnancy she was carrying did not belong to him.
According to the actor, she gave birth a few days later and requested that the naming ceremony be held at his residence despite having publicly denied that he was the child’s father.
He stated that the situation prompted him to involve law enforcement authorities, leading to the arrest of his wife, the man involved, and another individual who had accompanied him to plead for reconciliation.
Taofeek further revealed that his wife subsequently filed for the dissolution of their marriage in court after he refused to allow the naming ceremony to take place at his compound.
During the court proceedings, he said his wife admitted that both their third child and the last child were not biologically his.
The actor alleged that she had maintained a long-term relationship with the other man throughout their marriage.
He added that his former wife died last year after reportedly battling depression, claiming that the man she left him for eventually abandoned her because he already had an established family of his own.
Taofeek said the experience brought him immense emotional pain and remains one of the most difficult chapters of his life.
He said, “The only person that did the most painful thing to me in life is my wife. The incident brought tears from my eyes. She’s late now, may God forgive her.
“I went to a location about five years ago and I didn’t meet her at home when I returned. As at the time, she was nine months pregnant with our fifth child. I was unable to reach her on the phone to know her whereabouts until two days later when her number went through. After getting in touch with her she refused to tell me her whereabouts.
“It was when I visited her mother’s house to complain that I realized she had done an introduction with another man who is already married with four kids. After seeing the photo frame, I called to abuse her. That was when she returned to the house to abuse me and asked who told me that I’m the owner of the pregnancy.
“She gave birth a few days later and requested to do the naming ceremony in my house after she had openly said the baby is not mine. That was when I got angry and arrested her alongside the man and his friend that came to beg me.
“Following my refusal to allow the naming to take place at my compound, she took me to court for the dissolution of our marriage. It was in the court that she confessed that the third and the last child were not mine. She has been going out with the man for many years. She died last year from depression after the man she left me for later abandoned her to face his family because he is already married with four children before the incident. He is from Ijebu in Ogun State.”
