Nollywood film producer and director, Afeez ‘Owo’ Abiodun has revealed his relationship with his wife’s mother, Funmi Martins. Popularly known as Owo, Afeez narrated how he met Funmi Martins, lived with her and became an in-law.
The star actor spoke about how he developed a bond with Mide Martins on her arrival to Nigeria and how the latter always consulted him in all her matters including her mother, begging him to chastise his wife.
“Mide Martins was not in Nigeria, she’s in the UK. When she came to Nigeria, she lived with her mother at Challenge, Mushin in a one room apartment. Mide’s mum lived with her two siblings including the actress who makes them four in the apartment. Before Mide’s arrival, he was already staying with them as the only man.
I don’t know how the love between Mide and I developed. She didn’t do anything without consulting me and her mother often took my help in disciplining her. In truth, my success was heavily influenced by her family,” he affirmed.
Initially as a young boy, Afeez disliked his tribal marks and went to the extent of using sandpaper to get rid of them all to no avail simply because he was always taunted by bus conductors. He said that he would never allow anyone inflict such scars on the face of his children.
“While I was growing up in Surulere, there were times I was teased by people because of my tribal marks. They abused me so much but I did not care; today my tribal mark is my trademark. There was a time people teased me so much that I attempted to use sandpaper to wipe them off especially when bus conductors insulted me about it.”
The thespian also spoke about how his parents did not support his career and he had to sponsor his education when he was in primary school.
“When I started my acting career, it was rough and tough. The first challenge I faced was from my parents who felt I did not know what I was doing with my life. I lived with them in Oyo State and they felt that I ought to go to school to study. They weren’t pleased with me, so they backed off and I had to finance my education from Primary Five till I got to Form Five.
When I got to Lagos, I had to fend for myself as well. I got a little place on Randle Avenue, Surulere and whenever I was going for rehearsals, I trekked from my house in Surulere to Saka Tinubu, Victoria Island. I never knew that I would become someone in life. I just went with hope and I had it in mind that if I passed out while trekking either to the venue or back home, then so be it. I got a breakthrough in 1998 and two years later, I produced my first movie,” he revealed.
