INTERVIEW: NO REGRET DATING A JUNIOR COLLEAGUE – Popular Yoruba Actress, Toyin Aimakhu

Popular Yoruba actress, Toyin Aimakhu, delves into her issues about her life, romance, scandals, Nollywood and more. She spoke with PUNCH’s Ademola Olonilua

Toyin Aimakhu Excerpts: The part of my body I consider as my best asset I love every part of my body but if I am to choose I would say probably my breasts. My smile and my lips are also good features of my body. The money scandal I was involved in last year   My car was stolen from a friend of mine in September 2012. She wanted to drop someone with my car and it was stolen in the process. I am a public figure and from time to time, people give us gifts. I was shooting a movie and a friend walked up to me that a guy wanted to take us out because it was his birthday. I declined because I have a man and I cannot go out. The next day, Ibrahim, the man came and said he likes my movie and I thanked him. He said his father is an Islamic cleric and I asked him to tell his dad to keep praying for us. He said that he heard my car was stolen and offered to help. I accepted his offer to help; people give us money as well.   I would never receive a gift for sex. The Bible says my body is the temple of the lord. I would never, ever do such. It was a big issue that later involved my husband. If I had done such, I would have been in big trouble. How would I have told him? My husband would faint; he would have been so disappointed. I am a lady and not married yet, it is normal for men to make passes at me but he knows I am from a Christian home. He is a good Christian and I am from a Christian home. If he hears such, he is going to faint.   Ibrahim gave me N750,000 cash. He actually wanted to buy me a car; I wish he actually bought me a car so when the issue came up I would have just given him his car back. The guy’s father is a wonderful man. He spoke to me like a daughter and told me that the money was meant for someone else before his son took it. It was a gift, I did not steal it, I did not beg for it; but because he is a father and the way he spoke to me I listened. Ibrahim has an uncle, Agbana, who was also nice; Ibrahim too was nice, when he gave me the money, it was useful and I used it for something. I returned the money, but I still have about N200,000 to return.   About my previous relationship   The reason why I kept quiet all this while is because I am a lover girl. I fall in love; I love love. It is a sweet and wonderful experience. It is a beautiful thing. I have beenwaiting for this opportunity and I want my fans to sit down and think. I have never dated a married man, I am not a child. They can count the people I have dated and it is about four or five guys, including Niyi. Thank God I am engaged now. I fall in love and I do not know how to hide the person I am in love with. Once you ask me out and I say yes, I want to get married to you. It means I am in love with you; however most of these guys do not have the same intention. I have learnt that God’s time is the best. I had been walking around like a fool; meanwhile God had packaged Mr. Niyi Johnson for me. If I had married someone else apart from Niyi Johnson I would not be a happy woman. Now I met my better half and I love him. I do not even know the girl my former boyfriend is married to. He took my car; the Honda is actually my car. He was a guy I was in love with. I know Kunle is a funny person but there is something about me, even when they tell me you are not a good person, I want to deal with you. A lot of people have the wrong impression about me. I am a professional; because I act on screen, I act well and want to make it real. When you meet me, you realize it is just on screen. This has made me to always give people the benefit of doubt. So when people tell me about a person, I try to find out who the person really is. I bought the car for about N3 million. He was my man and he gave me N1 million. I just had to let it go because I was shocked and he was someone I loved.   I found out and I just kept quiet about it. There was a time Kunlewas in South Africa. The guy he went to meet was shopping while Kunle was at home. The guy tried calling him but couldn’t reach him so he called me instead. When he called me, he asked if it was boy or girl because he wanted to buy baby things to send to me. I was surprised because I was not pregnant. I was speechless; I called Kunle and told him what his friend said, that he wanted to buy baby things. He said that I should not mind his friend that he wanted to buy it for one of his aunties who had a baby boy. I I am smart but I kept quiet and took my mind off it. We did not have a fight, he just came to me to say that he wanted to attend a meeting and he took my car, because it was the latest Honda. I said okay and that was all, he stopped picking my calls. I sent him a text message, telling him to keep the car. I serve a living God; the next thing I saw was that he granted interviews saying that I was cheating on him. I went on a day’s fasting, and for 24 hours I was crying to God. I said that anything bad must not happen to anybody but let the people, my fans know the truth.   And the truth came out. He had a wedding less than three months after we broke up. It was not even up to three months and the girl was about six months pregnant. We had spent Christmas and New Year together; he went to South Africa in November. I was the one that did the South African visa for him. He came back; my friend went to pick him up at the airport. We were together in the house, we had a New Year’s party, a lot of people were at the party. That means the girl had been pregnant all along and he had been playing me. He got back from South Africa and did not buy me a single top. My friends were surprised and asked why he did not buy anything for me, but I told them that he did not buy anything for me because he said he was broke. Meanwhile, people said they saw someone at the airport who came to pick things for him. God has a way of doing things. I wish him well; he was a wonderful guy too. I wish him well in life. Me and my man Toyin Aimakhu and her Man, Niyi Johnson When you ask me about Niyi I feel like flying. I love him, he is my joy, and my friends make jest of me a lot with him. If I want to eat I call him; if he wants to do anything he calls me. We talk all the time. Niyi is my junior colleague but three years older than I am. I saw him in a movie and I was impressed by his acting. As seniors in the industry, when we see upcoming acts we make our observations. There is a tradition in the Yoruba movie industry, even if you are a 50-year-old person and I am 20-years-old but I got to the industry before you, you give me my respect. That is Yoruba, culture. I am 29-years-old. By looking at him    I knew he was older than me. He wanted to talk to me but I was not interested because he is my junior colleague.   Fortunately,Funke Akindele called me for a job, Oro omo. On getting to the set, he played my boyfriend. I would not lie, I liked him. When I saw him on set he came to me and said he is playing my boyfriend, I did not sound excited about it. I kept my cool. I asked him to walk me to my car, he was talking to me and I know he liked me, he took pictures with me. On set we were supposed to kiss, he had opened his mouth but I did not indulge him. When they stole my car, it gave everybody a reason to talk with me. He started talking to me and I was impressed by his intelligence. I told him I had seen him in Tinsel and he does a lot of soaps. His command of English is beautiful and that attracted me more to him. I saw a book with him and I loved it because I also love reading books. When he told me he likes me and wanted to date me I asked if he was on cheap drugs. He just sent me a text, ‘I did my findings and I am three years older than you, I know you don’t date for money and you don’t do married men. I love you’. I was like who is this and I disregarded the text. We later became friends and on my birthday, we were the only ones in the sitting room, people were outside. He told me he wanted to use the toilet so I had to take him, as we were going; he just dragged me to himself and kissed me. I could not resist him. On December 31, 2012, we were coming from Moji Olaiya’smovie location. He told me to allow them take the car away, giving several excuses. He told us to take a ferry, and on the ferry he proposed. That was the sweetest thing that could ever happen to a woman. He asked and I said yes. I told him that he should have told me so I would have hired people to shout yes on my behalf. We came back and there was a cab waiting for us. Hmmmm…TOO MUCH OPENESS FOR THE PRESS?