Inside Nigeria
Reno Omokri’s estranged wife accuses him of domestic abuse, abandonment
Tuokpe Onuwaje, the estranged wife of self-proclaimed pastor and preacher, Reno Omokri, has come forward with allegations of enduring domestic violence throughout their marriage.
Omokri, who previously served as the spokesperson for former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, allegedly abandoned Tuokpe after 14 years of marriage.
The couple had tied the knot in Nigeria, both in traditional and church ceremonies, before relocating to the United States.
Despite having three children together, including one with special needs, Omokri left Tuokpe and moved to the United Kingdom.
There, he began a relationship with an Ethiopian woman named Hanna, whom he refers to as his wife. The couple welcomed a child in 2021, whom Reno named Weyimi Ebele in honor of his former boss.
“My mother spoiled me. And I thought spoiling was over for me. Then, I married my wife and got another mother, a pure met-at-home lover.
“A woman who does not know how to quarrel. A being of pure joy that radiates unconditional love. Totally devoid of materialism. Incapable of malice.
“The only thing she puts before her husband is her God. Every other person, she has queued behind me. I got a package of purity, humility, and beauty. May God bless all men who fear Him with the type of blessing He gave me”, his post read.
Reacting to the post, Tuokpe said the only reason Reno claims to be happily married to a woman who doesn’t quarrel is because he always wanted someone he could control and intimidate.
“I was never meant to be that person; I wasn’t raised to be timid”, she said.
She also recounted the violent domestic experiences she endured with Reno, recalling how he left her with a swollen jaw and weeks of pain and also how she woke up to find blood on her pillow from a ruptured eardrum he caused.”No woman should ever tolerate abuse in a marriage regardless of how infrequent it might be.
“We often make excuses like wanting to maintain a complete family or staying for the sake of the children. But the truth is, your children deserve better.
“After the first instance of violence, which left me with a swollen jaw and weeks of pain, I made excuses, thinking I must have provoked the anger. I even had to endure seeing my daughter witness another slap.
“And there was the morning I woke up to find blood on my pillow from a ruptured eardrum you caused. The final straw was when you assaulted me again, leading me to involve the police.
“Now you claim to be happily married to a woman who doesn’t quarrel. Good luck to her, because you always wanted someone you could control and intimidate. I was never meant to be that person; I wasn’t raised to be timid.”
Since abandoning his first family in America, Reno, who used to project a pious facade but has since turned himself into a social media nuisance in his bid to attract President Bola Tinubu’s attention, has refused to amend his ways and play his fatherly role in the lives of his children who crave his attention.
For now, his second wife and their daughter have his attention.