LAGOS: Surulere based popular skincare vendor, Farida Sobowale of “House of phreedah bodycare” who was rescued after attempting to take a plunge from Third mainland bridge yesterday evening, August 17, is having crisis in her less than 11 weeks old marriage.
Farida, smarting from the challenges arising from her teething marriage, was believed to have momentarily lost interest in living anymore and attempted putting her life to grave risk but was saved by persons at the bridge at that time of the day.
She was said to have driven her Lexus SUV to the bridge, came down and in tears, was about to jump into the Lagoon when sympathetic by – standers moved swiftly and rescued her.
•The duo when the going was smooth & enviable
The skincare expert has been in the news of late over rumours of her crashed marriage.
Farida and her husband, Demola Okulaja, another socialite and Lagos Big boy, married in June this year. The elaborate wedding which attracted many Lagos socialites and dignitaries was estimated to have cost well over N100million.
The renowned Fuji Maestro, K1 De Ultimate and Olori – Omoba of Ijebuland thrilled the couple’s guests with remarkable performances on the wedding day.
Sources claimed that apparently touched by the reports of the crisis in her marital home, Farida probably thought ending it was the solution and she was seen in videos in which some people were stopping her from carrying out the risky steps on the Third Mainland Bridge, Thursday evening.
A facebook user, Telvine McMichael, in his counter-comment on the trending video showing where Farida was being rescued, described her as a very rich woman, importer and philanthropist who is a victim of exploitation by a man.
“She is a big business woman in my Area in Surulere. She is the owner of House of Pheredah. This woman takes care of some many people i know. A big importer of Cosmetics.She fell in love with a man, who choose to make her a public ridicule. Quite unfortunate, her family and very close friends should please help her get over this predicament.
“The society should remove all her story from the social media and fish out that guy to stop all the rubbish he is doing, after exploiting this woman. As a matter of fact, i call on the Nigeria police, DSS to fish out that guy. Nigeria cannot afford to lose this big employer of labour, a big philanthropist,” Telvine McMichael stated.
Meanwhile, the House of Phreedah proprietress opened up less than 24 hours after the unfortunate incident, confessing she almost ended her life because of love.
“I Almost Kill Myself Because Of Love,” she was heard saying in an anonymous video.
The marriage of Farida, a mother of three, hits the rock when husband, Damola, allegedly ended their relationship abruptly to go after another woman.
He was accused of hurling insults at his wife, also insinuating that she looks like an elderly woman, which he claimed impeded the free flow of their intimacy.
However, Farida in an anonymous video confessed that she contemplated suicide due to the pain of lost love.
She admitted to being deeply in love with her ex-husband, who had promised a lifelong partnership during their lavish wedding, only to dump her unexpectedly and shortly after the journey had begun.
She pleaded with her friends, associates and Nigerians to forgive her indiscretion in contemplating suicide, admitting that her judgment was beclouded by deceptive affections.
The House of Phreedah explained that she had now moved on and left the matter involving her ex-husband to God.
She said, “Friends and families warned me not to go into the marriage. They told me that the man only wanted my money but I was recalcitrant.
“It was love that pushed me into this. He told me that he was going to be with me, make me bore children for him.
“I am so sorry for putting my children in such a position. I would not have forgiven myself if I had abandoned them after committing suicide.
“I have forgiven my ex-husband. May God provide him with another wife.”