Iyanya Onoyom Mbuk, a well-known artist in Nigeria, has talked about how his bankruptcy in 2020 nearly led to his death.
He said he lost his home and was living in a hotel at the time, but eventually found himself unable to pay the expenses.
At that time, his old management, Temple Management corporate, filed a lawsuit against him for allegedly “stealing” a corporate vehicle.
Iyanya gave this narration while appearing as a guest on the most recent Tea With Tay podcast, which is presented by the actor Temisan Emmanuel Ahwieh, better known by his stage name Taymesan.
I spent a lot of time in court; I didn’t perform gigs, he claimed. Nothing could be done by me. You are aware that because you stopped performing, you now have to revert on your savings. But when you are popping, that inflow [of money] is different, the way you spend is different from the way you spend whatever you saved. So, I felt it.
“I reached a point where I realised I needed to begin travelling. For me, that was a chaotic time. Guess what, COVID-19 began two days after my most recent court appearance. I was pursued. I was a motel room. My home has vanished. I spent a very long period in the motel. It got to the point where I was no longer able to pay the hotel costs.
“The hotel’s owner is such a kind person. I have never seen such a remarkable human being. He let me remain there. Alaba is his name. He let me remain there for more than a year. There, COVID actually overtook me. Think about not doing performances. You go almost a year without travelling, there is no inflow, and you spend the entire year in court. Finally, it appears as though the court battle is coming to an end when the lockdown is lifted.
“I spent the whole lockdown at that motel. I nearly took my own life. I was once halted by the manager. each of those things. Madness, man.
