(Odinia Emmanuel Godson and daughter Ilebaye Odiniya. photo by daily post)
The father of former Big Brother Naija winner Ilebaye, Mr. Odinia Emmanuel Godson, has publicly addressed the circumstances that reportedly led to his physical assault of his daughter.
In a confession video that has since gone viral, shared by a journalist on Facebook, Mr. Godson offered his account of events. He acknowledged the widespread public reaction to the incident, both supportive and critical, and expressed gratitude to Nigerians at home and abroad for their responses.
He insisted that his actions were not born out of a lack of love for his daughter, pointing to the quality of education he provided her as evidence of his devotion. He described her as one of his best children.
Mr. Godson recalled that when Ilebaye expressed interest in participating in the Big Brother Naija show, he supported her and even mobilized his network of contacts within and outside Nigeria to vote for her during her second appearance on the show in 2023.
He claimed that his personal efforts accounted for over 75 percent of her support, which he credited as instrumental to her eventual victory.
However, he expressed disappointment that after her win, his expectations of her were not met. He explained that in his culture, a parent is expected to correct a child before the situation deteriorates, but lamented that Ilebaye had become increasingly unwilling to heed his guidance.
This comes after DAILY POST had earlier reported that Ilebaye took to Instagram Live in the early hours of Friday to appeal to the public for help, alleging domestic violence and physical assault.
She appeared on the livestream with a visibly swollen face, crying and screaming for help, while a man believed to be her father was allegedly seen assaulting her in the background.
“Ilebaye will hit me anytime I try to talk to her. I asked her to lend me money for my medical check-up in Dubai and she refused but she was spraying money at Cross wedding. I hit her out of provocation to scold her because I can’t watch her destroy her life”
— Ilebaye’s father https://t.co/mAr9dC7Pcb pic.twitter.com/YbNEKPS9OW
— Vampz (@Hybrid_Ola) May 10, 2026