THROWBACK: Do you remember Jumoke ‘Onibread’ Oisaguna

Do you remember bread seller turned model Olajumoke Orisaguna, famously known as Jumoke ‘Onibread’

Her story, which began with an accidental photobomb in 2016, remains one of the most inspirational tales of transformation and hope in modern Nigerian history.

In February 2016, Olajumoke Onibread broke into the limelight after she inadvertently walked into a photoshoot between British rapper Tinie Tempah and Nigerian photographer Ty Bello.

Olajumoke, originally a hairstylist from Ire, Osun State, left her husband and two children behind in her town and moved to Lagos, seeking a better life.

She began hawking “Agege bread” to make ends meet, earning daily meagre sales profit. Amid her struggles, fate had a different plan.

The pivotal moment came one afternoon in Lagos. With her tray of bread balanced on her head, Olajumoke walked unknowingly into a photoshoot featuring Tinie Tempah, photographed by Ty Bello.

During her interview with CNN, Ty Bello recalled the confusion that beguiled Ms Olajumoke. She was unsure whether to leave the scene or stay, as others encouraged her.

She asked if taking her picture was OK, and she nodded. In an attempt to find a spot, Bello said she seemed to ask her to walk past quickly, and others asked her to stay in limbo. “I wondered if it was okay to take her photograph, and she nodded.”

The bread seller was captured on camera with a tray of bread on her head, and the photo quickly gained traction online.

Viewers quickly marvelled at Jumoke’s striking beauty and poise, mistaking her for a model.

The reactions and discussions online sparked a movement, with Bello leading the search to locate the mystery bread seller who photobombed her shoot.

Modelling

After she was discovered, Olajumoke’s rise to stardom was swift. She quickly landed her first modelling gig, gracing the pages of ThisDay Style Magazine, and soon after, contracts with major brands such as Salma Guzel, Payporte, Shireen Confectioneries, and Stanbic ITC Bank followed.

Despite her limited English, she graced numerous magazine covers and landed lucrative endorsement deals with famous brands.

Her face adorned billboards across the country, turning her into a symbol of hope and inspiration for millions in Nigeria.

Her meteoric rise made her the most Googled person in Nigeria then, and she was even interviewed on CNN.

In her interview with CNN 2017, Ms Olajumoke spoke about her unexpected rise: “I never expected this would ever happen to me. My friends have told me they saw me on TV and are happy. My parents cannot believe their child can become such a success.”

The bread seller turned model also earned the support of prominent figures, receiving a scholarship from Suijimoto Group and Poise Nigeria to further her education, while a bank offered to cover the tuition fees for her two children.

Her husband and children also moved to Lagos to join in her good fortune.

She began taking courses at the up-scale Lekki campus in English Grammar and Communication and Total Personality Development.

Controversy

However, her fame came with its own set of challenges. In a YouTube vlog titled Olajumoke Sauce: Trends and Acceptance, released in February 2018, Olajumoke made controversial remarks about the LGBT community.

She described homosexuality as “un-Nigerian” and stated in the Yoruba language, “I know that there is no Nigerian that was born as a gay or lesbian”. She also said that she found it difficult to sleep after she discovered on Facebook that some gay men and women plan to marry persons of the same sex.

Olajumoke appeared to threaten LGBT people when she stated that they “will be dealt with in ways you can’t imagine”.

In response, Nigerian transgender model Veso Golden Oke posted a video blasting the model, advising her to learn more about the LGBT community.

Challenges behind the spotlight

While her rise to fame brought opportunities, it also came with challenges.

Unfortunately, her newfound fame came at a price as her marriage hit the rocks.

In an interview with City FM, Olajumoke recounted her experience and detailed her alleged struggles in her marriage with her ex-husband, Sunday Orisaguna.

The former model described her life in her husband’s family home as “hostile,” citing alleged mistreatment from her mother-in-law and physical abuse from her husband.

“There is no way you stay in that place and not encounter problems,” Olajumoke explained.

“My mother-in-law was very hostile towards me. My husband never listened to my side of the story; he would beat me even before hearing me out. Sometimes, he used a belt. My face and body would swell after each beating.”

The model recalled feeling trapped in the marriage, particularly after becoming pregnant, despite her family’s initial disapproval of the union.

“I would hide what was happening because I did not want my mom to hear. She also lived within the same vicinity as us. Before I went and reported to her, she would say she did not give me out in marriage to anyone. Even my mum’s younger sister was against me marrying him, as she had lived longer in Ire than me, so she knew what she was saying. But when the pregnancy issue happened, there was nothing anyone could do.”

She decided to leave Osun State after she suffered another abuse.

“As usual, he beat me up, and I decided that I was going to leave, move to Lagos, and start working at the bakery because I had been there before. The third day after that incident, I packed my load and brought my two children to Lagos because I could not leave them there. Getting to the bakery, I had to explain to my friend what had happened, and she was happy that I had finally left because she was one of the people who had warned me about him.”

Olajumoke also accused her husband of undermining her reputation and career after their separation.

“He spread false stories about me and those who supported me. It was devastating, and things began to fall apart,” she recounted.

She described her struggle to maintain her career while enduring accusations of infidelity from her ex-husband. “He would monitor me at work and accuse me of sleeping around. I hustled for the family while he stayed home or went out drinking.”

The 35-year-old revealed that it has been nearly four years since their separation.

Despite the challenges, she expressed relief at leaving the toxic relationship, though she admitted it came at significant personal and professional cost.

“So I finally decided to leave him. It got so bad that he even started insulting my parents. When I separated from him, everything started going down the drain because he started spoiling my name. All those who had helped me, then he started saying bad things against them. Since then, things have started going down.”

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Comeback

Fast Forward to November 2024, Jumoke “Onibread” has resurfaced in the spotlight.

It was reported that the former bread seller had joined City FM as a radio presenter, hosting her talk show, ‘Kilon Shele’.

On Wednesday, Jumoke recounted her struggles at a news conference in Lagos.

She highlighted her lack of formal education as a significant factor that led to financial mismanagement and made her vulnerable to exploitative managers.

Jumoke revealed that her new role as a radio host would centre on sharing her personal story, including the emotional struggles she endured during her hiatus and her journey of self-discovery.