How ex-husband abused Nigerian tennis star Funke Osinaike for 10 years

Veteran Nigerian table tennis player Funke Osinaike has revealed that she endured more than a decade of physical and emotional abuse during her marriage before eventually finding the courage to leave.

Osinaike opened up about her painful experience on the podcast The Play Zone, revealing that she suffered repeated beatings while keeping the ordeal largely private from the public.

“I was physically abused for more than ten years. I was dying and nobody knew,” Osinaike said.

The former Nigerian table tennis star said the violence became a recurring part of her marriage, with incidents allegedly occurring as often as every two months.

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“He beat me, he really beat me. And I think in every two months, I will get the beating,” she recalled.

Osinaike also disclosed that the abuse sometimes happened in front of her children. She said there were occasions when she would run into her children's room seeking safety, only for her husband to follow her and continue beating her there.

“Sometimes I will run to my kids' room and he will follow me there and beat me too in front of my kids,” she said.

Reflecting on what may have fuelled the abuse, Osinaike suggested that insecurity over her public profile and success could have played a role.

“Maybe its inferiority complex, maybe it's because a lot of people were liking Funke Osinaike and he couldn't stand my stardom,” she said.

Osinaike said she eventually sought help from her pastor but was advised to continue praying for her husband.

“I reported to my pastor. You know Nigerian pastors, the same thing, he said keep praying for him,” she revealed.

After years of suffering in silence, Osinaike eventually managed to leave the marriage, describing her escape as a difficult but necessary step in reclaiming her life.

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Veteran Table Tennis player, Funke Osinaike says she suffered domest!c violence for 10 years before her divorce. 😭 pic.twitter.com/VhRqGEmNnY

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