Tiwa Savage

By Nehru Odeh

The year 2021 couldn’t have come any differently but it did. Though it’s ending today, it’s leaving us with salacious visual images and memories that could make sex scandal pass as the person of the year.

The outgoing year is indeed one of leaked sex tapes, nude photos and videos that not only went viral but also hit differently, fed curiosities and raised questions.

Leading the pack of these sets of celebrities that shook our world in 2021 is popular Nigerian singer and African Number One Bad Girl, Tiwa Savage, who set the internet on fire when her sex video, which controversial OAP Daddy Freeze famously dubbed 10 powerful seconds, was reportedly leaked.

Though Savage had earlier informed the public in an interview with American OAP, Angie Martinez of New York’s Power 105.1 FM that she was being threatened by a blackmailer, that public knowledge never did anything to douse the tension and hoopla that it generated. Rather it exacerbated it.

That visual of 10 powerful seconds showing Savage at the height of pleasure, with her eyes and facial features betraying emotions while still helping herself not only set the internet on fire but broke records.

Though Savage had said the video was leaked by a blackmailer, many believed she released it herself as a publicity stunt. That video elicited not a few reactions, with many lambasting her while others, especially celebrities, rallied around her. That controversial video is still the talk of town and will continue to be so for a long time.

“You hated how I was able to control the narrative and get ahead of a story before it consumed me and how I was able to joke on stage about something you thought will destroy me and make me ashamed,” Savage said, reacting to the video after it was released.

Another sex video that shook our world in 2021 was that of BBNaija star, Nengi Hampson. When her sex video went viral in August, Nengi defended herself by saying it was leaked by her former boyfriend that many social media users described as Naughty Kay. The video elicited not a few reactions.

BBNaija star, Cross also stirred the hornet’s nest in 2021 when he “mistakenly” posted a video on Snapchat showing his manhood and tattooed body. When he realized the reactions it elicited, he deleted it saying he mistakenly posted it there. Cross later said he was just getting used to being a celebrity and learning the hard way.

Angel Smith, another BBNaija star notorious for almost revealing salacious parts of her body while in the house also “flashed” her private part in the presence of other housemates.

Whitemoney, the eventual winner of the reality show said Angel was “selling her market.”

However, reacting to the public reaction her act generated, Angel said she doesn’t place any value on those who see her nudes.

Another sex scandal that sent cold shivers down the spine of Nigerians in 2021 was the amorous love affair between Boma and Tega, both housemates in the BBNaija Shine Ya Eye reality show. Tega. 29 and a married mum of one was initially the fans’ favourite. Good-looking, neat, homely and fun-loving, she cut the picture of an ideal married woman in the house.

But she disappointed many when she had an amorous affair with Boma, another housemate who described himself as sexy, intelligent, adventurous, strong and fit and considered himself extraordinary.

On the first day of September, fans were shocked to see a viral video of Tega and Boma passionately kissing during lights out. There were also visible hand movements as Tega slid into the duvet. That got fans talking and cast aspersions on both housemates. While Tega was criticized for acting in a way that was unbecoming of a married woman, Boma was lambasted for being irresponsible.

However, Boma later apologized to Nigerians for his actions in the house via his Twitter handle, while Tega, on her part, said she and Boma were only acting a script to entertain viewers. By 7 September, Tega said, as she broke down in tears: “Nigerians, please forgive me. I’m sorry for my actions.” She has since gone back to her marital home.

Still, when it seemed Nigerians had had enough sex scandals in 2021, Nigerian popular artiste, Tubaba, was drawn into another sex scandal when his wife Annie Macaulay took to Instagram to reveal that the singer ‘‘slept under the same roof’’ with Pero Adeniyi and the children (she bore him) when they vacationed in Disneyland, U.S.

Annie accused 2baba of cheating on her with his first baby mama, Pero, alleging that his family has been unkind to her. The scandal was so intense that members of Tubaba’s family, Pero and Annie were involved in a war of words.

That same September also saw Uzoamaka Ohiri, the ex-wife of the popular On-air personality Chinedu Ani known as Nedu Wazobia and her estranged husband involved in a paternity scandal.

While Uzoamaka had earlier accused Nedu of battering her a few weeks after she was delivered of their child by a Caesarean section, Nedu himself accused her of infidelity, adding that after he conducted a paternity test on their eldest son, he realized he was not his biological father.

‘‘The continuous infidelity from her side made me conduct a paternity test on our kids which led to the revelation that our first son is not my biological son’’. Nedu said.

Uzoamaka, on her part defended herself by saying that she was in a relationship before she met Nedu and never knew that he wasn’t responsible for the pregnancy he was carrying even on their wedding day.

“I was seeing someone before Nedu, he was on the side disturbing me, he had invited me a couple of times. I turned him down. After the relationship ended, Nedu and I met up.

“Along the line, I found out that I was pregnant. Trust me, if I knew that my first child was not for him, I wouldn’t have married him. I can’t deliberately pick another man’s child and give it to another man. If I knew, I wouldn’t have gotten married to him. On my wedding day, I was pregnant, everybody saw it.”

To substantiate his claims, Nedu also posted a copy of the DNA test which was conducted by a forensic laboratory, Viaguard Accu-metrics, located in Toronto Canada.

There wasn’t any dull moments with Nollwood actress, Tonto Dikeh in 2021. She was involved in one controversy or the other, Aside from the fight she had with crossdresser Bobrinsky, the one that really hit differently was the scandal that dogged his short-lived relationship with Prince Kpokpogiri.

Earlier in June, Tonto was over the moon when she unveiled her then boyfriend, Kpokpogiri on social media. Though many had cautioned her against putting her private relationships on social media, citing the controversy that had plagued her earlier marriage, the bubble burst soon a month after when a viral voice note and a phone call between Kpokpogri and a socialite was leaked online by a notorious Instagram blogger.

Kpokpogri, who is also the chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum, described his ex-lover as “Helen of Troy”, claimed he caught her cheating on him and that their short-lived affair was tumultuous. “We dated for barely three months and it was more or less a living hell! So much has happened in such little time that I overlooked it for the sake of the so-called relationship and my sanity,’’ Kpokpogri said while reacting to the news of their break-up

In the heat of the face-off between the two estranged lovers, Tonto took to her Instagram page to revel that Kpokpogiri had the sex tapes of a socialite and dancer, Janemena, his former lovers and other other married women in his possession.

The movie star made the revelation known via her Instagram page on Thursday, September 23, 2021. “After listening to these leaked voice note between JOSEPH EGBRI(fake name Prince kpokpogri) and merit, I personally called my relationship off with a man I honestly did LOVE. Now this is not enough for blackmail and lies but it’s all good and great,” she wrote.

“Respectfully, All we are asking is come answer to the law for your illegal recording and release of my private moments (A CRIME) that happened months back before I actually respectfully ended this relationship, extortion (A CRIME), blackmail (A CRIME) amongst other things alleged about you.”

She went on to reveal that the activist has access to the sex tapes of popular Instagram dancer and influencer, Janemena.

“This may be a good time to say @janemena this man has so much of your sex tapes with him in his possession (old and very recent) Not just you but a lot of other married women, Celebrities and single girls too. If he hasn’t blackmailed any of you yet it’s a matter of time!!” she revealed.

“My darling JOSEPH EGBRI it will only be fair enough you allow the law operate. If these are made Up allegations you need not fear, FOR A CLEAN HEART FEAR NOTHING. Am not hurt, not mad, just DONE. I wish you would too🎈”

“You can’t be the one blackmailing me, releasing my private chat with friends, bugging my phone and still be the one in trauma. Wish you all the very best🥰 But you need to stop running and face the consequences of your actions.”

Dikeh’s post came barely 24 hours after Kpokpogri filed a suit against her and the Department of State Service, DSS, demanding a 10B naira compensation.

Barely a month later Janemena, a married woman filed a petition against Tonto Dikeh asking that she tenders a public apology and retract her statement. However, Tonto insisted that all she alleged in September was the truth and in no way false information as Janemena’s petition claimed.

Kpokpogiri on his part, defended himself by denying he was in a relationship with Janemena whom he regarded as a family friend and was also close to her husband.

“Is Janemena my friend? Yes! Beyond going to her shop opening years back, our relationship has only been on the phone. We have been family friends for years and the husband is someone that’s close to me.

“It is a taboo where I come from to sleep with a married woman even though I am still single, worst of all, with a married Isoko lady, who will pay the ultimate price if she does that.

“Don’t drag her and any other name in your imagination into our ship that has long sunk. I’ve lived and living a clean life. No amount of blackmail can pull me down,” he maintained.