Mr Steeze: Find out more about Farooq Oreagba's touching story as he reveals losing friends after his cancer diagnoses

• Following Farooq Oreagba’s rise to fame at the 2024 Ojude Oba festival, the investment banker shared more about himself in an interview
• Oreagba revealed that he still has cancer while sharing how many friends abandoned him following his diagnoses
• The investment banker also shared the reason behind his tattoos and how he chose to live his life due to his illness

Fast-rising celebrity Farooq Oreagba has continued to enjoy his newfound fame following the 2024 Ojude Oba festival.

In a new interview with Arise News, the investment banker opened up on living with cancer after finding out about it in February 2014.

Nigerians react as Farooq Oreagba speaks on living with cancer. Photos: @folastag, Farook Oreagba/ Linkedin
Source: Twitter

According to Oreagba, after discovering he had an incurable form of cancer, his priorities changed, and he made a list of the things to focus on, the first of them being family.

In his words:

“From the moment I was diagnosed with cancer in February 2014, it’s an incurable form of cancer, your priorities change. You don't know how much time you've got, you line up your list of priorities, for me it’s family first because I don't know how long I’m going to be around but by God’s grace it’s been 10 years and counting and since I’ve been crowned King of Steeze, I’m not about to just go like that anytime soon. Ojude Oba has evolved.”

Oreagba also explained that he had bone cancer, and he was on chemotherapy almost every day for eight years. He said:

“I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which is cancer of the bone, in February 2014. I had a bone marrow transplant in August 2014, I’ve been in remission since. I did chemotherapy every day, 21 days a month, for eight years. I don’t do chemotherapy anymore, I’ve put on good weight, I’m living my best life, I’m back working because it was difficult to take a full time job when I was doing all that and that gives me a lot of fulfillment.”

I lost friends after leaving the Nigerian Stock Exchange and having cancer

Speaking further during the interview, Oreagba said that he was a senior executive at the Nigerian Stock Exchange in the early 2000s and he had so many friends as a result. However, they reduced after he left the exchange and also after he was diagnosed with cancer. In his words:

“I was a senior executive at the Nigerian stock exchange back in the early 2000s and prior to that, let’s say I had 5 million friends. When I left the exchange in 2010, my 5 million friends went down to 1 million. When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, my 1 million went down to a hundred and that’s a very important lesson. What you take from that is to hold your friends close, keep your feet 10 toes down all the time, be yourself, as long as I don’t hurt anybody.”

Farooq Oreagba speaks on having tattoos despite cancer

During the chat with Arise News, Oreagba explained the reason behind them. According to him, he tries to get them in places that can be hidden when he is on his corporate duties and he has had them for years. In his words:

“People talk about my tattoos, I’ve had them for years, I’m very particular about them. I try to make sure I don’t have them on my face, my sleeves cover the ones I have when I’m on corporate mode. Up until last year, I lived on a beach for four years. I lived in Lagos on a beach as my primary home. I didn't worry about security because I haven’t harmed anybody. This (fame) is a total shock to me, the cameraman nailed it.”

Oreagba also explained that one of his tattoos has the words ‘I live each day as if it were my last, so don’t judge me, carpe diem’ inked on his arm, while others are about his children or when he mentioned how he used to have many friends.

See the full video below:

Netizens react as Farooq Oreagba opens up

Legit.ng gathered some comments from netizens who reacted to Farooq Oreagba’s interview. Read some of them below:

Fumzo:

“The man is such a happy man and full of life. Even the cancer will be ashamed of itself,because it got the wrong body.”

scopymafioso:

“Man is highly intellectual and intelligent.”

tunnyogunnowo:

“‘As long as you’re in the game, you can win the game’….. Dammn. That’s my key takeaway from his speech.”

themainframes_ng:

“Steeze aside, he’s so eloquent and intelligent. Everything he said put together makes so much sense. God bless and keep him.”

Ettaenyi:

“The man is just trying to enjoy life. As a doctor I’ve seen what cancer does to people. He’s just making the most of his current situation, it’s nice to see him optimistic and hopeful. Ride on Sir. King of Steeze. Every lady wants to give you MMUUAAAH.”

useful_herbs:

“His story is both touching and inspiring. He spoke about how when he was working at a lucrative company he had 5 million friends, but when he left the company and was diagnosed with cancer he was only left with 100 friends. It teaches a deep lesson about life: one can only have few true friends and it is when you’re down you know your true friends. I pray for divine healing for him IJN.”

Ng.clearing:

“Mr. Oreagba is our very eloquent CEO with a brilliant mind. His story is an inspiration for everyone to keep hope alive and live to the fullest.”

omorewahairwig:

“Gosh cloth covers a lot if this man is not rich and receive grace he would have been long gone …life..I am happy for him ..man maintaining composure and steeze.”

Cleroydaboss:

“And baba is still smiling, you won’t know what people are passing through till you get close, Always Thank God at all times .”

Fabulosgloria:

“This man's story was a story we all needed to hear. It was also a great opportunity for us to know about a culture most of us have never heard of. I am just impressed with how he is handling life and I pray he is cured in full.”

Farooq Oreagba resumes work

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Farooq Oreagba was captured as he returned to his workplace after the 2024 Ojude Oba festival.

The cancer survivor, who made headlines for his steeze at the prestigious cultural event, wore a suit and carried a bag.

In the clip, a lady in the background was awestruck to see him and quizzed him about his workplace. The man smiled as he gestured while responding to her. It is not clear where and when the new clip was taken.

Source: Legit.ng