Laide Bakare calls out ex-husband, wife over children’s maltreatment

By Damilola Akinwale –

Popular Nollywood actress Laide Bakare has called out her ex-husband, Mutairu Orilowo, and his wife over alleged maltreatment of their sons, who are in his custody.

The actress took to her Instagram page on Monday, alleging that she had evidence of her sons’ maltreatment by their stepmother, while accusing Mutairu, with whom she shares two sons, of abetting the situation.

In a video shared on her Instagram page, Bakare claimed that she was denied custody of their sons after losing a court case to secure their custody, prompting their father to restrict their interactions with her, despite the fact that they are still minors.

Expressing concern over the safety of her children, she alleged that she witnessed a chaotic moment in the house while on a call with one of her sons, which she recorded. She claimed she overheard their stepmother telling the other party to strangle them rather than beat them in a way that would leave marks on their bodies, which their father might later notice.

Bakare said she had communicated her concerns to Mutairu on several occasions, expressing her dissatisfaction with having another woman allegedly maltreat her children when she could train them herself. However, she claimed her pleas fell on deaf ears, alleging that Mutairu supported his wife because of his love for her.

The actress said she was now ready to train her children and would not continue to watch them allegedly being maltreated. She urged Mutairu to allow each mother to train her children herself, adding that previous attempts to secure custody attracted public criticism because people viewed her as problematic without knowing the full circumstances.

Speaking on attempts to bond with her children, Bakare alleged that she was restricted from attending one of her sons’ birthday parties, which was organised without her knowledge. She added that Mutairu denied her access to them on several occasions when she wanted to spend time with them or asked them to visit her during holidays.

Bakare, 45, was previously married to Olumide Okunfulure, an American-based businessman from Ondo State, in a marriage that produced a daughter, Simi. She later separated from Mutairu, her second husband, although details surrounding the end of their marriage are largely unknown. The actress recently announced that preparations for her third marriage, which she described as her “first official marriage”, were underway, but did not disclose the wedding date or identity of her partner.