Having a secret marriage fly against the tradition of having an all comer affair ceremony, but some top Nigerian celebrities have been able to pull it off. Secret celebrity weddings are not common in Nigeria but some famous Nigerian celebrities have decided to get married with no fuss or fanfare. In this article I will be sharing with you 13 Nigerian celebrities who had secret marriage.
Secret celebrity weddings are not common in Nigeria but some famous people have decided to get married with no fuss or fanfare. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marital vows by the couple, presentation of gift, offering, rings, symbolic item, flowers, money, and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure. Some Nigerian celebrities have defied all odds by exchanging vows with their spouses away from public eye. So therefore, after a careful study and research I present to you 13 Nigerian celebrities who had secret marriage.
1. Toke Makinwa
Toke Makinwa is an On Air Personality, a Vlogger, a television presenter and an author. She was in a long term 12 years relationship with Maje Ayida. The relationship had a lot of ups and downs but they secretly got married on 15th January 2014. Unfortunately, the marriage crashed in 2016. The On Air Personality love life became a subject of public interest for a few years. Toke Makinwa was born on 3rd November 1984 in Lagos State, Nigeria. She attended Federal Government Girls’ College in Oyo State, Nigeria.
After which she later attended the University of Lagos, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Literature. She is known for her book “On Becoming”. She is currently hosting The Morning Drive show on Rhythm 93.7 FM and her YouTube Vlog series Toke Moments. On 15th January 2014, Toke Makinwa got married to Maje Ayida, whom she had been involved with for over eight years. In 2015, she separated from Maje Ayida after discovering that he had impregnated his ex-girlfriend. On 5th October 2017, Toke Makinwa’s marriage to Maje Ayida was dissolved by a Lagos High Court on the grounds that Maje Ayida committed adultery.
2. Goldie Harvey
Goldie Harvey is a Nigerian singer, song writer, recording and a BBA star who died on 14th February 2013 in Malaysia after a brief illness. She had been secretly married to Andrew Harvey, an engineer based in Malaysia since 2005 until her death in 2013. Nobody knew that she was married because she had a secret wedding with her European hubby Andrew Harvey in Malaysia. Her marriage to Andrew Harvey was later made known after her unfortunate demise.
3. Funke Akindele
Multiple award-winning Nollywood actress Funke Akindele secretly got married to her hubby JJC Skillz Bello in London on 27th August 2016. Funke Akindele or Jenifer is one of the most popular actress of Yoruba decent. In 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role following her role as Jenifa in the popular television series “Jenifa’s Diary”. Funke Akindele was born on 24th August 1976 in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria.
She has over 200 movies to her credit as an actress, a writer and a producer. In 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She has a Diploma in Mass Communication from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and a Degree in Law from the University of Lagos. On 26th May 2012, Funke Akindele got married to Adeola Kehinde Oloyede and later divorced him in July 2013. In May 2016, she secretly got married to Nigerian rapper Abdul Rasheed Bello also known as JJC Skillz in London, United Kingdom on a secret low key wedding.
4. Zainab Balogun
Nollywood actress Zainab Balogun rose to stardom in a relatively short period of time, after featuring in series of blockbuster movies such as The Wedding Party and a lead role in the 2017 blockbuster movie The Royal Hibiscus Hotel. She got married to Nigerian millionaire and aviation guru, Dikko Nwachukwu just last year in Lagos in one of the most secretly guarded weddings of the year. The wedding was very secret and guarded by security and bouncers. Only few friends and family members were invited to the wedding.
5. Uche Jombo
Nollywood actress Uche Jombo secretly married Kenny Rodriguez in a low key wedding ceremony in America after her failed relationship with Ikechukwu Uche. Uche Jombo was born on 28th December 1979 in Abiriba, Abia State in the south eastern part of Nigeria. She is a graduate of Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Calabar and Computer Programming from the Federal University of Technology in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. She joined into Nollywood in 1999 and acted in her first movie Visa to Hell. As a screenwriter she has written and co-written several movies such as The Celebrity, Games Men Play, Girls in the Hood, a Time to Love, and many more. She has also produced movies like Nollywood Hustlers, Holding Hope and her latest work Damage which deals with the issue of domestic violence. She is currently a GLO ambassador.
6. Stella Damasus
Beautiful Nollywood actress Stella Damasus who is based in the United Kingdom has been secretly married for over 3 years to her long time boyfriend and lover, Daniel Ademinokan. They kept their marriage secret until her husband Daniel Ademinokan made their marriage known before the public on 14th February 2014 via an Instagram post as a way to surprise her fans. Stella Damasus was born on 24th April 1978 in Benin City, Edo State in the south southern part of Nigeria. She started her career as a singer in Lagos where she used to work as a studio session singer at the famous Klink Studios owned by Nigerian filmmaker Kingsley Ogoro. In 2009, she was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
In 2007, she won the award for Best Actress in Nigeria at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards. In 2012, she won the award for Best Actress at the Golden Icons Movie Academy Awards. Stella Damasus married her first husband, Jaiye Aboderin, at the age of 21 years old in 1999. The couple had two daughters before her husband Jaiye Aboderin died suddenly in 2005. Stella Damasus remarried in 2007, this time to Emeka Nzeribe. The marriage lasted for seven months before a mutual agreement to divorce took place. In 2011, she started a relationship with Daniel Ademinokan and later got married to him in a secret wedding ceremony attended only by few close family members. Their relationship sparked a lot of controversy all over Nigeria and Africa because both parties never publicly admitted to be dating, engaged or even married until in 2014 when her husband broke the secret.
7. Regina Daniels
Nollywood beautiful and controversial actress Regina Daniels is also one of Nollywood celebrity who secretly got married. She secretly got married to her hubby Prince Ned Nwoko in a private wedding ceremony attended only by few family members. Her husband Ned Nwoko during an interview with the media stated that actress Regina Daniels was a virgin when they got married. He married Regina Daniels as his 6th wife.
The marriage created a lot of controversy because of the age gap between the couples. Regina Daniels was 19 years old while Ned Nwoko was 59 years old when they secretly got married. They was a 40 years gap between the couples. Regina Daniels and Ned Nwoko got married secretly in 2019. Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels and her hubby Prince Ned Nwoko marriage has been heavily criticized. They were also reports that the marriage was orchestrated by Regina Daniels mother, Rita Daniels.
8. Adaeze Yobo
Adaeze Yobo was crowned the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 2008. She got married to Nigerian international footballer and former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo in 2009 in a private ceremony held at night. You would expect a queen to have a royal wedding but not Adaeze Yobo. In 2009 she married Joseph Yobo who at that time was one of Nigeria’s biggest footballers. The wedding was a departure from the norm as they got married in a private ceremony at night. They marriage is blessed with two lovely kids.
Adaeze Yobo is originally from Awka-Etiti, Anambra State in the south eastern part of Nigeria. After winning the Most Beautiful girl in Nigeria, she represented Nigeria at the Miss World 2008 in South Africa. She used her reign as Miss Nigeria to showcase Nigerian cultural heritage. Apart from winning five million naira and a Hyundai car, she also received many endorsement deals from big companies and conglomerates. In 2010, she got married to former Nigerian international soccer player Joseph Yobo in a secret midnight ceremony held in Jos, Plateau State in the northern part of Nigeria after a brief courtship, and marriage is blessed with two lovely kids.
9. Regina Askia
Nollywood actress Regina Askia in the early 90s secretly married Rudolph Williams, an American citizen who flew to Lagos for the secret ceremony and later relocated back with her to the United States of America immediately after the wedding. At that time the Internet wasn’t popular in Nigeria so it took about a week for people to find out. Shortly after her wedding Regina Askia relocated back with her husband to the United States of America, where she is currently practicing as a registered nurse.
Regina Askia was born on 17th May 1967 in Lagos State in the south western part of Nigeria. She is currently 52 years old. She is originally from Ukanafun, a small town in Akwa Ibom State in the south southern part of Nigeria. She is very beautiful and has been described as one of Nollywood best actress of all time.
10. D’Banj
D’Banj whose real name is Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo is a famous Nigerian musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, entrepreneur and television personality. For a long time, D’Banj was considered to be one of the top bachelor’s in the country. But he remained very tight lipped on his relationships. And the same applied to his wedding, as only very close friends and family knew and attended the ceremony here in Nigeria. D banj and his wife, Lineo Didi had their first son Daniel, who they unfortunately lost last year in a swimming pool accident.
11. Simi
Nigerian music star Simi and her hubby Adekunle Gold are also Nigerian celebrity couple that had secret wedding. After a long period of rumors flying around about Simi and Adekunle Gold concerning their relationship status whether if they are dating or not. They finally tied the knot in a very secret and closely-knit wedding right after the New Year in Lagos in 2019. The couples celebrated their honeymoon in South Africa. Their wedding was very secret and attended by few close family members and friends.
12. Agbani Darego
Top Nigerian model and former Miss World, Agbani Darego got married to Ishaya Danjuma, son of Nigerian Billionaire General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma in a quiet ceremony held in Marrakesh, Morocco on 8th April 2017 and the marriage is currently blessed with a son. It was reported that only 35 people were in attendance during the wedding ceremony. Agbani Darego is a Nigerian international model, beauty queen and a former Miss World. She is best known as the first native African to win the prestigious “Miss World” beauty pageant held in China. She was born on 22nd December 1982 in Lagos, Nigeria to a family of eight children.
She is a native of Abonnema, a small village in River State, Nigeria but was born and bred in Lagos, Nigeria. Agbani Darego attended Bereton Nursery and primary school. As a teenager, she auditioned and won the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and represented Nigeria in the Miss World. She created history by winning the Miss World beauty pageant held in China.
13. Di’ja
Nigerian music star Di’ja is another celebrity that had secret marriage. Reports had it that Mavin singer Di’Ja had gotten married in December 2015 but Di’Ja did not give a hint. On 1st July 2016 Di’Ja finally revealed that she had gotten married months ago and had given birth to a boy. Di’ja aside from singing is also a model, a visual artist, a painter and a graphic designer. She was born on 14th August 1989 in Kaduna State in the northern part of Nigeria. Her mother is from Kaduna State, Nigeria while her father is from Sierra Leone. She is a Muslim by religion. Di’ja grew up both in the United States of America, Canada, Sierra Leone and Nigeria respectively.
She is currently signed to Mavin Records by Don Jazzy. After completing her primary and secondary school education, Di’ja went further and earned two degrees from different universities in the United States of America and Canada respectively. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and another Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
