The winner of Big Brother Naija Reality TV show Ijeoma Otabor aka Phyna has revealed why she had two ab0tions at the age of 19 and 24.
The reality TV star disclosed she had ab0rtions at age 19 and 24 in an interview with the PUNCH.
According to Phyna, 98% of Nigerian women have done ab0rtions as such she is not ashamed to own her mistake and does not worry about people’s judgemental comments about her revelation, noting that they are not better than her.
When asked how life has been for her since emerging as the winner of the season edition of the show, she said life has been great to her as tries to balance her newfound fame.
She noted that life was very difficult for her before the show as she had to do all manner of jobs to provide for her family as the first child.
She said she worked in the clubs, baked, plate people’s hair and make them up to earn a living.
On how she felt after seeing peoples reactions towards her revelation on having done two ab0rtions she said “In my family as a whole, we are very open. People just read meaning to things and say whatever they want, I really do not care. I was just laughing at their responses to me because those that know me know me, I am an open book. I actually responded to that woman when she said “I can’t respond to you, you are an abortionist,” and then I said yes that I have committed abortions. It is fine how people want to see me, I am not ashamed of anything about myself. If I ever make a mistake, I own up to my mistakes. When my dad called me about it, he asked why I said something like that, I just said daddy I learnt it from you oo”.
On her reason for doing it she said “As for my reasons for taking abortion pills, if there are 100 women in Nigeria today, 98 have done abortions. So, no one should judge me. I was in a 12-year relationship then and I was so young. The first abortion was when I was 19; I couldn’t go home to tell my parents that I was pregnant at that age. And the two pregnancies were so early like two to three weeks that I could just use tablets. The second was when I was 24, and I had finished serving then. I was ready to keep it but the relationship was getting toxic. He abused me and always beat me up. I said to myself that I couldn’t do this anymore, so I took it out and that was how I ended the relationship”.
When asked if she would have considered ab0rtion in her current state she said “Why would I do that? The way I am now, I have money to take care of 10 children, so why? In fact, if my parents were rich at the time of my first pregnancy, I wouldn’t have aborted it. But because I knew I was from a very poor background, we used to eat once a day then, especially in the afternoon and then carry it till the next day. So, keeping the baby then, was no option for me”.
She was further asked her take on ab0rtion as a celebrity and someone who has great influence on the youths she said “In the face of God, it’s a sin and I have prayed and gone for confession. I am Catholic and I know God has forgiven me. It is what God says that counts. I don’t care what anybody thinks or says. I am not proud of committing abortion but the situation surrounding it was what I couldn’t help. For me, I do not see the essence of bringing children into this world when you are not ready. So, it’s either you abstain from sex, use protection or when it happens; you are either ready to chest the baby or take it out, especially when the situation is beyond you. Everybody has their own purpose behind their actions, just that there are some who are not scared of committing abortions at all, which is not good”.
Age 19 and 24…
