Millionaire blogger, Linda Ikeji has parted ways with her head of programmes - Theo Ukpaa after he was accused of r*ping a minor consistently.
Theo Ukpaa
Linda Ikeji has sacked the Head of Programmes of her online TV - Linda Ikeji TV after he was accused of r*ping one Emilia Samuel while she was 16 many years back.
Emilia Samuel made the allegations against Theo Ukpaa, a former Soundcity music station employee after his wedding photos went viral on social media.
Linda Ikeji who read the story of Emilia Samuel explained her disappointment in a terse message on social media. She wrote:
"I personally wanted to let everyone know that Theo Ukpaa, who was Head of Programmes at Linda Ikeji TV is no longer a staff of the company. His job with my company was terminated on Monday August 27th just a day after I read the heartbreaking story of Emilia Samuel.
The general public is therefore advised not to transact any business with him in the name of Linda Ikeji TV as anyone who does it, does so at his/her own risk.
Thank you
Linda"
It would be recalled that Emilia, who is now married with two children, made this revelation in an Instagram post over the weekend, where she claimed that Theo deflowered and r*ped her multiple times despite her pleas that he should stop.
She revealed that her path and Theo’s crossed when she made it to the top three of a spice girl competition organised by entertainment channel, Soundcity. The prize for a place among the top three was that Emilia was required to visit the office of the channel twice a week for catwalk training.
In the tell-all tale, Emilia said Theo was her trainer and during the course of the training he “kept making passes at me but I told him I was not interested. All I wanted was to work on being a model”.
The post read: “It was on the third training. He said they were making use of the studio we normally use, so we are to use another. There were people working there, so there was nothing to be worried about. We went to the new studio and started the same routine. Then he came and [grabbed] me. I told him to stop, [I’m] not like that. Next thing I knew, he had thrown me to the floor and overpowered me. All I could remember was the pain and the blood; it was everywhere. I kept shouting and shouting and screaming, but no one came. It was years later I realised that the door was soundproof cos is a studio. I never knew till I started working as a presenter. I was just 16 and naive; never had any exposure. That Spice Girl [competition] was the first time I was allowed out of the house. I did not even have a phone by then. All messages and calls were through my mum phone.
“He then came and was begging that he thought I was like other girls when I told him I was 16; that he thought it was just modelling age and [that] he [couldn’t] believe there could be a virgin anymore. I caught a cold that day and fell sick. He kept turning me around and was cleaning the blood but I was more like a dead body. [I] did not care anymore what he was doing. He got me dressed and held me at my back, leading the way out and making sure no one spoke to me. He put me in a bus home and when I got home, he had already called my mum that they got a job in the UK for me and I would be leaving for the shoot soon. He [said he would] like to speak to me as soon as I came in and he told me through the phone that I should not tell anyone what happened; that if I do, my mum would stop me from modelling and I will never get the chance of modelling ever again.”
Emilia revealed that Theo went as far as deceiving her mother into believing that he had got a job for her in UK. According to her, all this was a ploy by Theo so she wouldn’t tell her mum.
According to her, Theo even promised her marriage.
She continued: “I was too broken to make any statement. All I could say was bye and went into my room and that was the end of me going for the training. But he kept calling my mum that there were jobs for me which she thought I went to, but never knew I used those times to go sort for ushering jobs, which I got I was able to get a phone from. Then one day, I got a call from him. I was so scared, but he begged me, [saying] he was sorry and wanted to see me face to face to apologise. I agreed to meet with him in an open place, but then again I didn’t know anywhere. I was 17 then. We agreed to meet at Ikeja cos I had a casting there. Him knowing I was still naive told me of an eatery which I never knew was closed. I got there after my casting and discovered the Mr Biggs was closed. Turning to leave I saw him at my back. He said so I just wanted to leave like that, that he also did not know the restaurant is closed.
“[He said we should] go to another down the road. Either I was just as a fool then or I was still very naive at 17 or I just don’t know. I followed him into his car still believing we were heading to a restaurant to talk things over but no. Theo managed to fool me into his house, pushed me in as soon as I entered and raped me once more, then started crying and begging [that] it was a mistake that he can’t get enough of me. He gave me an infection from day one and kept adding to it and I never knew I was suffering from STD. There was no one close enough to tell me that and he was too wicked to even treat me. He just left me like that with it till many years later before I found out and got myself treated. Thank it did not damage my womb, neither did I get pregnant, cos I did not even know anything about getting pregnant. I was too naive and stupid. He said he wanted a relationship and that I am God-sent to him. He kept bugging my phone with calls and messages until the day I fell and did a job for him because I knew the lady he wanted me to work for and he also sent me the number of the girl who I was to work with – Sisi Oge in Ijebu Ode.
“I really thought he had changed like he claimed all went well. I and Breda were sharing the same room. Then the camera men had theirs, he had his own. The popular TV presenter of Soundcity was there so I felt at home till the night before the day we were to leave. Theo came to our door and was calling my name. I refused going as my mind starting recalling that he might want to do the same. It was 2am. Brenda saw how scared I was and asked me what the issue was. I told her I am scared of him, that he might hurt me. She was quick to understand so she said don’t worry he won’t harm you when I am here. He kept calling out my name then started banging the door. Next thing, he broke down the door and came to the bed where I and Brenda was, and dragged me out to his room.
He locked the door beat me up then raped me, all the while saying no one can do anything; that he is their boss and he is paying them, and that no one can ever have me in this world till he is done with me. To cut the story short, we got back to Lagos and he started blackmailing me that he had my nudes and that he will publish it. They were actually bikini pictures I took, which then I felt were not decent coming from the home I come from, but cos he showed me [photographs of others like me who he said I had to copy] if I was to make it in the modelling industry, I went ahead and took those bikini pictures, seeing all as training I am suppose to do if I am to be a model. He said if I don’t keep seeing him, he will make them public and that was how I continued to get raped until he travelled abroad and forgot about me. I thank God right now I am married with two kids, but I know so many girls are out there who this monster, Theo Ukpaa, has done this to, but can’t voice out. Pls, beware of him ladies. And to his boss @officialindaikeji, you keep preaching about women empowerment, yet after you sacked this same guy cos of rape issues, you still employed him again and ignored complaints of numerous girls he has raped. Pls be careful of him.”