Tuokpe Onuwaje, the ex-wife of Nigerian preacher and former spokesperson for President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has accused him of domestic violence during their marriage.
Tuokpe and Reno were married in both traditional and church ceremonies in Nigeria before relocating to the United States.
The couple had three children together and spent 14 years as a married couple before Reno left Tuokpe and moved to the United Kingdom. He then started a new relationship with an Ethiopian woman named Hanna, whom he now calls his wife.
Recently, Reno posted on social media, praising Hanna as a devoted wife who loves him unconditionally and places God before anything else.
He wrote: “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.”
In response, Tuokpe shared her painful experiences, accusing Reno of physical abuse during their marriage.
She described incidents where Reno’s violence left her with a swollen jaw, weeks of pain, and a ruptured eardrum that caused her to wake up with blood on her pillow. Tuokpe also mentioned that her daughter witnessed one of these violent episodes, adding to the trauma.
Tuokpe stressed that no woman should tolerate abuse in a marriage, no matter how infrequent, and that staying together just for the children’s sake is not worth the harm.
She emphasized that children deserve better, and that enduring violence is never the answer. Tuokpe’s statements highlight her struggle to escape an abusive marriage and her hope that her story will encourage other women to prioritize their safety and well-being.
Tuokpe Onuwaje wrote, ”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.”
Despite these accusations, Reno Omokri has previously denied claims that he abandoned his wife in the United States and started a new family in the UK.
