Senator representing Delta North, Ned Nwoko, has dismissed claims by his estranged wife, Regina Daniels, that he married her when she was 17 years old, describing the allegations as “false, misleading, and malicious.”

In a statement released across his social media handles on Thursday, Nwoko said the reports were part of attempts to tarnish his image amid ongoing marital challenges between him and the Nollywood actress.

“It has come to my attention that false claims are being circulated by Regina, suggesting that I married her when she was 17 years old. These claims are entirely untrue and misleading,” Nwoko stated.

He explained that during his first meeting with Regina, she told him she was 21 years old and presented an Independent National Electoral Commission voter’s card as proof, showing her date of birth as October 10, 1998.

“For clarity, during my first meeting with Regina, I asked her age, and she told me she was 21 years old. I further asked if she had any document to support this, and she presented her INEC voter’s card, which clearly shows that she was born on October 10th, 1998.

“I informed her that I would keep this document in my possession, and I have done so since that day,” he said.

Nwoko added that their marriage took place six years ago, asserting that by all verifiable records, Regina is currently 27 years old.

“According to all verifiable records, our marriage took place six years ago, which means Regina is 27 years old today. Any suggestion that I married her at 17 is false and should not be accepted by the public,” he added.

The lawmaker further alleged that his wife’s claims were influenced by her “current mental condition,” noting that she had started but failed to complete rehabilitation for drug addiction.

“The facts are verifiable and indisputable. Until this is done, I urge the public to approach all her claims with caution and discernment, especially taking into account her current mental condition having started and abandoned her rehabilitation from illegal drug addiction,” Nwoko said.

PUNCH Online earlier reported that Nwoko had accused a “syndicate of pull-down-Ned” group of exploiting his marital crisis to damage his reputation.

The public dispute between Nwoko and Regina Daniels escalated on Sunday after the actress admitted to using illicit substances, alleging that her estranged husband introduced her to drugs for his sexual satisfaction.

In response, Nwoko denied the accusation, insisting that it was Regina’s brother, Sammy, who exposed her to drugs and frustrated all efforts to rehabilitate her.

The pair’s fallout follows weeks of social media exchanges and public statements over alleged domestic violence, which Nwoko has consistently denied, attributing her behaviour to drug and alcohol abuse.

He said Regina’s “current battle with substance abuse” had strained their marriage and reiterated his call for her to undergo rehabilitation.

The controversy deepened after Regina’s brother, Sammy Daniels, was arrested in Lagos, transferred to Abuja, arraigned in court, and later remanded pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.

Amid the tension, the actress recently shared that her parents, who had been estranged for years, had reconciled in the wake of her family crisis, particularly her brother’s arrest.

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The family of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has renewed its call for a transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the head of the family, Omolayo Aloba, and Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, sent to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, the family also directed the late singer’s partner, Wunmi Adebanjo, to stop using the family surname, Aloba, pending the outcome of a court-ordered DNA test.

According to the statement, the family said it remained resolute in its demand for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death, adding that it had appointed new legal counsel for all estate and DNA-related matters.

The statement partly read, “The Aloba family remains resolute in its demand for a transparent, independent, and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death. The family is committed to seeing that justice is served, the truth uncovered, and those responsible held accountable.”

“The Aloba family has unanimously appointed Oladayo Ogungbe, Esq., of Ogungbe & Ogungbe Attorneys, as the sole and official legal representative of the family in all matters relating to the DNA case and the estate of the late Ilerioluwa Aloba (popularly known as Mohbad).

“Furthermore, the family has also unanimously agreed that Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN, of Wahab Shittu, SAN & Co., shall continue to represent the family in all engagements and communications with investigative authorities concerning the ongoing inquiry into the cause of death of the late Ilerioluwa Aloba (Mohbad),” the statement added.

Addressing matters concerning Mohbad’s estate, the family named three administrators to manage the deceased’s assets, royalties, and intellectual property.

They identified the administrators as Ajewole Aloba, Rasaq Famuyiwa, and Alonge Aloba.

“These administrators are authorised to immediately apply for letters of administration from the probate registry to lawfully manage all estate assets, including royalties, bank holdings, real and personal property, and musical intellectual property. The family has left one slot open for Wunmi Adebanjo to join the administrators if and when a valid court-ordered DNA test confirms that Liam is the biological son of the late Mohbad,” the statement added.

The family further requested that Wunmi Adebanjo, identified as the deceased’s partner, cease using the surname Aloba in public or private records until lawful confirmation of paternity is obtained and the family gives approval.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no statutory or customary marriage was contracted between the late Mohbad and Wunmi Adebanjo, as the required Yoruba traditional rites (payment of bride price) were never completed,” the statement disclosed.

The family added that if the DNA result confirms that the deceased fathered the child, Liam, both mother and child would be recognised within the estate administration process.

It, however, appealed to the public to remain calm and respect the judicial process, noting that the DNA verification was not intended to vilify anyone but to ensure legal clarity and fairness in the distribution of the estate. The statement also noted that a new burial and memorial date would be announced once legal and family matters are concluded.

“The family will announce a new burial date and memorial plan for Mohbad in due course after the completion of all internal and legal formalities on the DNA matter. Justice for Mohbad remains our unwavering goal, and we will continue to pursue it through lawful and peaceful means,” the statement read.

When contacted for a reaction on Wednesday, the legal representative of the late singer’s wife, Kabir Akingbolu, faulted the Aloba family’s directive restraining his client, Wunmi, from using her late husband’s surname.

Akingbolu, who represents Wunmi in the ongoing paternity and estate-related proceedings, said the family’s statement was another attempt to mislead the public despite several court-backed opportunities to conduct the DNA test they requested.

Akingbolu further explained that after the initial court order, the Aloba family allegedly withdrew from the process and changed legal representatives multiple times.

He said, “They were the ones who went to court to demand a DNA test. The court granted the order, but they refused to show up. We wrote four different letters to them, and they never came. They later came back with a new lawyer and asked that the DNA be done outside the country.

“The court again granted the order, yet they disappeared. Now, for the third time, they’ve filed another application, saying they want it done in a particular hospital abroad. We will not allow that because you cannot choose a hospital for the court. We are ready for the DNA any time, any day. The child is not a bastard, and my client has nothing to fear; she is a decent woman.”

Reacting to the family’s demand that Wunmi stop using the Aloba surname, Akingbolu dismissed it as illegal and sentimental.

He also cited constitutional backing for her right to continue bearing the name.

He said, “Nobody can stop her from bearing Aloba. That is the name given to her by her husband, and under the law, she has every right to keep it. The Supreme Court, in the case of Ojukwu vs Ojukwu, held that no one has a monopoly over a surname. There are thousands of Alobas in the world. They are the ones running from the DNA. We have always been ready — even if it’s today or tomorrow, we’ll be there,” Akingbolu added.

The development is the latest in the ongoing dispute between the family of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, and his widow, Wunmi, over the paternity of their son and the control of the singer’s estate.

Mohbad died at the age of 27 on September 12, 2023, with the circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

Being a former signee of Marlian Music, owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. The Lagos State Police Command had, on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.

PUNCH had earlier reported in 2024 that Mohbad’s father, through the family’s legal representatives, filed an application at the coroner’s court sitting in Ikorodu, Lagos State, seeking to unravel the cause of the singer’s death and later demanded a DNA test to resolve the paternity dispute surrounding the child.

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In a bid to alleviate the uncertainties and tensions that prevail at the moment, the Federal Government recently announced a notable success rate in its fight against terrorism. They declared that they had recorded an 81 per cent reduction in terror-related deaths since 2015. The figures, said to be based on updates from the Department of State Services, also claimed that in the past year alone, more than 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised while over 124,000 fighters and their dependents have surrendered to authorities. We were also told that more than 2.1 million internally displaced people have been relocated back home from the IDP camps, and reconstruction efforts are ongoing. The government attributed that significant reduction in terror attacks to the improvement of counter-insurgency operations and enhanced collaboration between security agencies and the affected communities.

The figures are good, but Nigeria is not a place where one can simply trust the word of state security agencies. During the tenure of late Muhammadu Buhari, the government also once claimed to have “technically defeated” Boko Haram. Whatever that meant in simple English, only Buhari and his advisers could have understood it enough to explain it to the rest of us. Even more interesting is that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, assured us—just in April last year—that they have successfully reduced terrorism-related deaths by a whopping 90 per cent. How did Ribadu know this to be true? He based his claim on the price of AK-47s on the black market. According to him, the price of those deadly weapons had increased from between N500,000 to N1m in 2023 to about N5m and, and to him, that was an indication that the guns had become scarce due to the frequent government seizures. Perhaps if Ribadu had taken a little more time to think through the gauge he used to assess progress, it would have occurred to him that between 2023 and 2024, Nigeria also witnessed very high rates of inflation that spiked the prices of goods and services. This was, of course, due to the various policies (such as the removal of fuel subsidies and naira devaluation) of the administration in which Ribadu is presently serving. If the price of a bag of rice and other food staples could double or triple, what stops a destructive weapon from similarly responding to market forces?

Ribadu also based that “90 per cent” claim on the death tolls he claimed had dropped drastically. He said they used to record an average of 2,600 deaths in a month, but the figure had dropped to 200. He also announced that they had prosecuted close to 2,000 terrorists, with many of them convicted. Now, just 18 months later, the same people are now sharing figures that state an 81 per cent reduction in deaths. The more recent claim adds that over 124,000 fighters, along with their dependents, have surrendered to the authorities. Curiously, only 124 (which is a mere 0.1 per cent) have been convicted in the past year. That figure does not align with what Ribadu provided just last year, so have we progressed or regressed? The Global Terrorism Index still ranks Nigeria at number six, placing it in distinguished company alongside countries such as Pakistan, Mali, and others. That is not where we should be after many years of fighting terror. What really does it mean to “neutralise” 13,000 terrorists? What is the afterlife of the “neutralisation” programme and the “surrender” of these supposedly neutered terrorists? Do they return to their villages to beat their guns into farming implements, or do they later backslide for want of more thrilling things to do with their life? The figures of progress the government has been providing for us obscure the truth more than they clarify it.

The meaning of progress should not be morbidly measured by the percentage of deaths or the price of AK-47S, but by generating a vision of a terror-free Nigeria. What is a post-terror Nigeria supposed to look like? For us not to be condemned to circling the mountain of insecurity infinitely, we must reorient ourselves to think beyond death and dying to life and living.

We must also be able to envision what life ought to look like without terror, banditry, and all the assorted ways Nigerians routinely get killed. All our efforts cannot—and should not—be about stopping deaths but enhancing life. When we get so fixated on how many dead bodies we pick up every month, we not only set a low bar of victory, but we also provide a cheap escape means for those who have the responsibility of reforming Nigeria. Their best efforts will simply be channelled into miscounting the dead just so they can claim some victory. That is why there is a discrepancy between the figures on which the government planks its victory and the actual real-life experiences of Nigerians who are regularly assailed with reports of violence and have to conduct mass burials and/or be moved to IDP camps.

Rather than being locked into an eternal bickering over what is true or false, we should set a different standard. The utopian vision that should motivate the fight against terrorism and other forms of insecurity should not be about the number of dead people but about how Nigerians would live in a post-terror Nigeria. What would our lives look like if we were able to eliminate terror? One thing we know for sure is that life in post-terror Nigeria cannot—and must not—be as we used to live it before all these started. No, we must be able to live much better lives. That, of course, means that the structural factors that gave rise to the present situation must be confronted. We must examine where the rain first began to beat us and continued to beat us.

Nigeria is currently embroiled in a war, but is also incubating many potential conflicts simultaneously. If you think the terrorists and bandits are already a huge problem, please know that we have not seen anything yet, given the growing number of street urchins growing up outside the civilising force of family and community. This out-of-school population is maturing biologically, but is uneducated, unskilled, and unprepared for life. At a point, they will turn against the country that failed them, and we will never progress beyond counting dead bodies and pricing AK-47S. We must think differently about our problems and their solutions. The mindset that created these problems cannot solve them; we must consider the wholesale regeneration of our society, which has become stagnant and stale.

The endpoint of fighting insecurity in Nigeria must not be an endless chasing after the disillusioned people who have finally found a moral purpose that redeems their otherwise humdrum existence to disarm them. The goal must be to envision a new life full of abundant possibilities for Nigerians. We must stop thinking of death and start working towards making life. Our motivation for fighting insecurity should not be about reducing deaths by spurious percentages but about creating a life where people can flourish. People must have hope, faith, and the ability to exercise their free will. Our people in every part of the country must be able to live securely, in dignity and freedom, and with fear banished. We must be able to imagine ourselves living like the free and dignified subjects God made us to be, not the perennially pitiable subjects who are either dying or warding off death.

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