Late Toto Abuga's Wife Says - "No Man Can Meet My Standard For Marriage"

Biola Alade Olatunji (Nee Oredein) is a popular celebrity lady in the black community in the United Kingdom and Lagos, South West Nigeria. She is equally influential in Ibadan the capital of Oyo state and largest city in West Africa which is her place of birth and early years. 
The very versatile international business woman came into limelight few days after her equally famous husband, Alhaji Lookmon Alade Olatunji aka Toto Abuga, a Lagos socialite was murdered in the evening of Saturday June 8, 2008 on his way back from the United Kingdom. Toto Abuga who is very famous with top Lagos musicians especially Fuji Music Czar, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K-1 De-Ultimate) on account of his generosity to them was killed while driving out of the Murthala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, South West Nigeria few hours after his arrival from London. He was killed around Oworonshoki area of Lagos. 

Madam Biola Olatunji (Nee Oredein) with late husband, Lookman Alade Olatunji aka Toto Abuga taking a vow for love during his life time

His assassination raised so many dusts and noise in 2008 but up till now, no arrest has been made by the Nigerian police. However, the noise made by her husband’s gruesome murder was small compared to that generated by her epic battle with her mother-in-law, a 75 years old Madam Kehinde Olatunji who battled Biola over some of her husband’s choice properties and won four years later because of some valid document she gained access to through her late son, Toto Abuga when the later was alive.

Few weeks back, Biola who is a real time business woman with interest in eatery, hospitality, and real estate; fabrics and jewelries posted three controversial posts on her face book page which generated lots of reactions from her friends and foes alike. One of the posts stated “Not all friends deserve to be close; some for party; some for advice; some for chats, some for nothing. Some for trash and some for love; trust me I know where everyone belongs”. This particular post led to many of her friends with accounts on face book asking her which category they belong in the hierarchy. In a second post, she stated “Don’t be scared to cut off hateful, disrespectful and disloyal people. You are better off without them”.

This second post generated several comments and commendations yet what mattered to the author of the posts was the message therein. Last week, Biola who was in town for business and socials organized a memoriam prayer for her eldest maternal sister, Late Mrs. Oluwaseun Thompson. Your Africa’s number 1 celebrity encounter blog asabeafrika later met her at her Magodo GRA, Lagos office where she told us reasons behind the controvesial faceboook posts plus why she can’t find a man that can match her late husband, Toto Abuga. Enjoy the except first posted on  asabeafrika blog

“Yes that is the reality of life. Some people will actually stab you at the back and they will still be asking why do you have blood gushing out of your back and they are the ones behind the whole mess. So, people are just what they are, malicious, hateful, disrespectful, and spiteful and what have you. Especially when you make success; not everyone can stand you when you are successful and the better you know this; it will go a long way in keeping you going strong”

 Why I moved to England

On why she has been so scarce on the Lagos social, the very big and beautiful woman said “I have been so scarce because I now reside more in England than Nigeria even though I have couple of businesses I run here with capable hands running them on my behalf. 

The reason is not farfetched; I have been looking after my children and equally facing my own education. I hope you know that I am doing a theology and counseling course in England and I will be graduating next year July because I am in the final year as we speak”.

Madam Abuga equally told us reasons behind her special prayer session for late elder sister who is equaly the first child of her mother and why the occasion is dear to her heart “My sister, Oluwaseun Thompson was a very pleasant, social, nice and elegant lady in her life time. 

She is of course my maternal sister, we shared the same mother and I can tell you that she was an epitome of beauty in her life time. She used to be a banker in her lifetime and married to Mr. Idowu Thompson from the Thompson family in Lagos. She was an executive of Habaccuss Merchant Bank and she did her job well before she passed away. 

Today (October 30th) which marks her 15th year demise I am organizing a small prayer for her by sharing food for the ordinary people here in Lagos because that was what she did most in her life time, she was one of the patrons of Little Saints Orphanage and she did it religiously. She was one of the partners giving things to the orphanage and she did it so passionately at the time and none of us got the drift that she was only trying to be Godly in her own way. I think she lived ahead of her time and by the time she passed away in 1999; it was like something big left the family. 

Today, we remember her with tears in our eyes but with a happy heart that she lived the life God demanded we all live before ascension to the great beyond”.

Why I am doing Theology

On her new found love for theology, the Abuga widow gave us her reasons “Of course at this my age I don’t need any other educational discipline again than theology. Do I want to go and study business administration and become a business woman again; I have done business for over a silver jubilee years and I have made success of it. 

Business has always been a part of me and those who know me can tell you much more about my business acumen. I know how to do business, I know how to earn money but above all that, one have to be very close to God in this very wicked world and that was what led me to study theology and being a theologian enables you to have every field of life packed into one course. It will soon hit you that life itself is vanity. 

You have to walk in the right way of God and being a widow as well, I want to make sure I bring up my children in the way of God. I want them to fear God. If you raise a child and you don’t raise that child with the fear of God as a parent you have raise an empty vessel. You must raise a child not just to be a success to society but equally to be a success to God. These are the high benefits of studying to show you approved before God. I love Theology and I am enjoying the revelation about life and God. I think it was just the best way for me to go”. 

The story of my controversial face book post

Talking on her contoversial post on facebook which was talking about category of friends and what to be done with them, Mrs. Biola Oredein Olatunji gave a smile before her candid response to asabeafrika “Not really but as a living soul life will always teach you new lessons and as a philosopher I just put it to make a statement of fact, it is just a philosophy of life. I don’t mean any harm but you know at times Yoruba will say “Ase buburu, e kuu ara fuu”; anybody those words apply to can just pick them. I don’t have anybody particularly in mind” On how she felt with people’s reaction to her post, she answered “The reactions only made me feel I have passed a message and you know a strong message is like a splash of mud; it touches whoever it wants to touch without such person preparing for it. Yes, I had friends asking questions on my wall, they said ‘Olori, hope you are not referring to me, hope this message is not for me’ and all that and in my mind of mind I was like ‘well, that is a tonic for them all, a good philosophy that can bruise and heal the heart at the same time’. Life itself is a lesson and philosophies are the basic courses we get out of the lessons of life. I am a philosopher”.

“Gbenga, take it or leave it if I settle for any man and the man has a wife forget that wife. I am going to be on top of the wife and I don’t want such a situation. I don’t like sharing; I love to have my thing to myself alone. You cannot compete with me when it comes to having the heart of the man and there is no man I will go and marry and he has a wife that means I am going to break that home”

Madam Biola Olatunji (Nee Oredein) with late husband, Lookman Alade Olatunji aka Toto Abuga taking a vow for love during his life time

Two more controversial posts

“Don’t be scared to cut off hateful, disrespectful and disloyal people; you are better off without them” “People stab you behind and ask why is blood coming out of your back? Those were two other controversial posts by Mrs. Biola Olatunji (Nee Oredein) and when asabeafrika asked her to tell the message behind those two new posts she answered like this “Yes that is the reality of life. Some people will actually stab you at the back and they will still be asking why do you have blood gushing out of your back and they are the ones behind the whole mess. So, people are just what they are, malicious, hateful, disrespectful, and spiteful and what have you. Especially when you make success; not everyone can stand you when you are successful and the better you know this; it will go a long way in keeping you going strong” Will she say the messages gave some inclination into her life experience as a widow and business woman? “Yes, it is a summary of my life because indeed I have seen it all both in family life and even in friendship” Biola enthused and continued “I have learnt it in a very hot way, right now I don’t have friends and I don’t hang out with friends anymore because I have really learnt my lessons when it comes to friendship. I don’t have friends but I have confidants and my younger sister,Odunola Oredein Quadri is my best friend and confidant and I have another junior friend, Adunni (Malo Oils’ wife), these two are my confidants because I know they are sincere and truthful to me”

Madam Biola Olatunji Nee Oredein....'No Woman Can share a man with me'

Why successful people are targets of evil

Mrs. Abuga takes time to lecture you on why people seem to pick hatred with those who hit success “You know success is challenging, success elevates you out of ordinary assembly and envy is always the direct result of such elevation. Right from the Biblical times success has always brought contempt.  It happened between Cainand Abel, it happened between Joseph and his brothers, it happened between King Saul and David. People will always laugh at you when you are down but when you are successful they welcome you with a lively conduct but immediately you step out of their ambience they will make a pot of hot soup out of you, they will curse and bad mouth you. Although I don’t mind whatever anyone says about me so far I am pure. To me as far as I am concerned I only owe my God and my children an explanation for being successful. I am very sure I am a pure and sincere person. I am an open minded person and I believe if 80% of women are like me, forget it, we won’t have bad people in this world. I am not self praising myself but I am saying the honest fact. I am sincere to a fault and that they will tell you about me. I don’t beef success and I don’t get uncomfortable over people’s achievements. 

Madam Biola Abuga with Best Sister and Confidant, Mrs. Odunola Oredein Quadri

Men Chase me on facebook

On how she has been handling men’s advances in the last six years without her husband, Biola who is a plus size beauty had this to say to this blog “Lots of toasters, lots of people that have good intentions, bad intentions have been chasing me; even if I am ugly and I am a lazy woman, people will still come. But all it takes is to just apply your senses. That is what can save you; even on this face book you are talking about, I have a lot of toasters there. People will come physically, they will send in memos and cards; they come in different ways and at times I feel ‘what is going on?’ what do they really want, my beauty, my pedigree or what but I can also tell you that I apply common sense. That is what often saves me. And the grace of God is enough for me to sustain the temptation”. Is Biola saying she has not met a man who dusts the qualities of her late husband? “I have not seen yet” she declared and spoke further “I have not seen yet and that is the honest truth because majority of these men outside are lazy and my husband was a very strong and industrious man, he was a hard worker likewise me. So, I want someone like him if I am going to have somebody”

Madam Biola Abuga to asabeafrika....'No man can match my late husband's standards in terms of industry'

Marriage; not for me!

So, is Madam Biola seeing marriage in the picture? Her answer “But Gbenga,  I have always told you that marriage is never in my dictionary, nothing like that; the only wedding I will do now is for my children not for myself” When you try to prod her on the necessity of re-marrying, the super rich business woman cum widow gives you a dotting expression laced with cynicism and asks you the most shocking question s“Do I need it or will you marry me? Do you want to marry me? If you want to marry me, let me know and we can arrange it” she dares you with an air of finality.  On what a real prospective suitor needs to do to sweep Biola’s feet and make her change her mind, she replies “He should flaunt his love and let me know what he is up to”.

Madam Abuga with friends during a social outing in Lagos

Madam Abuga with her two beautiful daughters Mojadesola and Anjolaoluwa when they visited Nigeria recently

No woman can share a man with me

With Biola’s intimidating success we asked if a potential suitor won’t be scared off but our guest disagrees “Yes, if you have the best confidence in the world and you are up and doing, then come? If I see you and you posses the characteristic of my late husband, why not, I will go for it but not marriage just companionship because I am not ready to break anybody’s home.  There is no man that will ever come to me without losing his wife and I don’t want to be a second best to anybody. And it is difficult for me to see a single man to marry at this age”

Front view of her newly opened multi-million Naira M4 Plaza in Lagos

I don’t want to be a burden to a man’s home

We made Madam realize that she could still find young men who are ready to sacrifice all to earn her love but still, she disagreed with this blog “It is not possible, how I will find a single man who will wed a widow?” Biola asked with a feign expression written on her face “Maybe if he is a widower but I don’t want any commitment like that. I don’t want to have a rival and to equally be a burden to someone’s home. That is not me; that is not my kind of person because I equally have girls as children and I wouldn’t also want their home destroyed. Gbenga, take it or leave it if I settle for any man and the man has a wife, forget that wife. I am going to be on top of the wife and I don’t want such a situation. I don’t like sharing; I love to have my thing to myself alone. You cannot compete with me when it comes to having the heart of the man and there is no man I will go and marry and he has a wife that means I am going to break that home. I wouldn’t like to be a home breaker. It is not a good thing; that is not me. I love my peace and I love the peace of my man”. 

Some of Madam Abuga's fabrics called 'Olori Fabrics International'

My new line of business is…..

Few months ago there was a rumor that Mrs. Biola Abuga has sold her choice hotel 4Ms international at Ajao estate, Lagos. We put it to her but she denied the rumor “Yes, basically because of my children and my own education in England, I have partially moved back to England and you know Hotel business can be damn engaging, it is time consuming and you need to be on ground to make it work and if you do such a business and you are not on ground you might have yourself to blame. My children are my best legacy for now and for me, their education comes first. I need to be there to mentor and prod them on. That is why I want to phase the hotel business out and concentrate on real estate and fashion business which can be done without my physical presence. I have competent hands that make things work in my absence and we are even expanding on that and I can say the sky is the limit for us here” “We our hotel but we are in the process of selling off the hotel so that we can concentrate on the fabric business and real estate which has always been my passion”.

The Logo of her new brand; OLORI FABRICS

Olori fabrics is Lagos’ No 1

Mrs. Biola Olatunji spoke on her new line of business which has to do with supplying quality fabrics for Lagos Party makers. Hear her “Olori fabric is known for quality because we can’t afford to miss it on quality; to start with we have our own special signature and trademark which is done by our manufacturers. We have various manufacturers in Austria and Switzerland. Like I said earlier, I don’t joke with quality even the same thing goes for my real estate business. Most of the properties we build are not only durable but very unique in style and structure. I don’t compromise quality, we have HOH embroideries, HKG embroideries and FILTEX embroideries in Austria, and they are our major manufacturers. We are into Aso ebi as well and that is one aspect of the fabric business that takes much of my time these days; we sell Swiss voil, Swiss organza, and Swiss net lace. We equally haveSwiss fine stitches, polish lace and other fabrics that are in vogue.  We are already booked till December and I just thank God for the kind of patronage we get from Lagos merry makers because they trust us for quality. The Arisekolas just booked us for December for their son’s wedding. We are doing the groom’s Aso-Ebi and I can tell you that we have a roll call of very big clients; the Olatunjis, the Sofolas, the Oderindes and many top people that we have done Aso Ebi for. The secret is quality and value for money coupled with good service”

Madam Biola Abuga to asabeafrika.....'I started as a fashion designer'

Madam Abuga....'You cant catch me wearing a swimming pant in public'

My Business sense

The mother of four (Two girls, two boys) shared her success tip in business with this blog “If you are focused you won’t be challenged. There is no life endeavor without challenges but you just have to be focused, that is key; if you are focused no matter the challenges you will overcome it; our group is planning to have another business in London now, it is a hotel business and we are making good plans towards it. That will engage me much in England but let me quickly tell you this; if you are a good leader you don’t have to be on ground to make things happen. You must be able to create effective and dynamic lieutenants that will run thing on your behalf and in your absence. It is part of what I learnt in school, leadership. If you want to be a good leader, you must make sure people around you can do whatever you can do in your absence. My Lagos office is run by Mr. Sunday Abimbola, he is one of the young Nigerians that has done so well in the property and real estate management business. He is in charge of our new plaza here in Magodo and all you need is just a call away to great service delivery and effective leadership. A leader must train to lead and lead to train”. 

The very stylish Madam Biola Olatunji in her London neigbourhood

My fashion sense

“I think I have told you before that I started as a fashion designer; that was my first job and business. I like fashion; even though I am big and beautiful I love fashion and that is why my first daughter is now studying fashion and textile atNorthampton University, London. She is rounding up her study in fashion and textile. She makes me proud because I have always loved fashion and Mojadesolamy first daughter is also into fashion, she is as big as me but she is very, very fashion conscious. I am very proud of her. So, fashion to me is suitability. Your fashion sense must not be lousy but moderate with a touch of style. My outings speak for me, in London you will catch me on jeans and T-Shirt but Lagos for me is a social city, so, you won’t stop catching me on Iro and Buba. I am an Iro and Buba person on a normal weekend in Lagos but if I am at home with friends and family, you will catch me in my bou-bou or evening gown”

Madam Abuga....'I trust nobody but God Almighty