She doesn’t pick our calls anymore – Phyna’s father says she disappeared after winning N100m

By Jimmy

The father of Josephine Otabor, better known as Phyna, the winner of Big Brother Naija season 7, has alleged that she abandoned her family after winning the N100m grand prize.

In a recent interview with Vanguard, Mr. Felix Otabor said the last time he saw his daughter was when she was announced as the winner of the reality TV show in 2022.

According to him, he had believed that when she hit the jackpot, his family’s suffering would come to an end. However, nothing changed, much to his dismay.

I only see her on Facebook or Instagram

Phyna’s father claimed that she disappeared and abandoned her family as soon as she received the prize money. He said he only sees her when she posts pictures on social media.

He also alleged that his daughter asked him to stop working as a hearse driver and sell his vehicles. Unfortunately, after he sold his old cars, she didn’t provide any assistance, leaving him currently jobless.

His words,

“I haven’t seen Phyna, my daughter since she won BBNaija ‘Level Up’ edition last year. She hasn’t returned home since then. I don’t know why. I am a professional hearse driver, and when she won the reality TV show, she asked me to do away with all my old cars, promising to change my life. But since then, I haven’t seen her. And I don’t have a car again. Once in a while, the Vice-Chairman of our association will allow me to drive his own car.

“I sold all my four cars because, at the time my daughter won the show, I thought that God had finally answered our prayers. I called her on the telephone, and she said God has blessed us. She asked me to do away with all my old cars, or she would give them out to Aboki, any day she returned. So, instead of allowing her to dash out my cars to scavengers, I decided to sell them as scraps and used the proceeds to renovate my house.

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That was the beginning of my suffering. I stopped doing my business because I had no car again. And my neighbours thought I was either stingy or pretending as if my daughter just won a N100 million grand prize. I was the Vice-Chairman of our association, but when I couldn’t show up at our station for some time, they replaced me with another person.

“From that moment, things started getting tough for me. I am even looking for somebody who will give me a car on hire purchase. Please, I need help; it has come to that point, because I don’t want to die in silence. I only see Phyna on Facebook or Instagram whenever she shares new photos on these platforms.”