Renowned singer Ego, once celebrated for her role as the backup vocalist for the enigmatic musician Lagbaja, has recently endured a heart-wrenching loss. Her beloved husband, Niyi Ogbaro, passed away this past Wednesday in the United States.
Ego, originally named Nwakaego Ihenacho, exchanged vows with Ogbaro back in 2009. Despite their union, circumstances led them to live apart for a significant period.
Before her husband’s death, Ego removed Ogbaro from her social media accounts fuelling rumours of trouble in their marriage.
Ego and Lagbaja made hits such as ‘Konko Below’, ‘Nothing for You’ and ‘Never Far Away’ among others. She later left him to pursue a solo career.
The singer said in a 2017 interview with PUNCH that she met Lagbaja through Sunny Nneji.
“Lagbaja and Sunny Nneji were not yet solo acts at that time, and they belonged to the same band called Colours,” she said.
Commenting on the chemistry she formed with Lagbaja and the rumour that they were lovers, she said, “It was a brother-sister, employer-employee and mentor-mentee bond. I learnt a lot of things from him because he saw the potential in me even before I saw it in myself. He used to encourage me to write songs a lot.”
Ego said she left Lagbaja’s band because she wanted to have her own brand identity and face a different direction.
“When I left Lagbaja’s band, it was on peaceful terms. There was no fighting or hard feelings; I just felt it was time for me to start a new phase,” she said.
According to her, going solo was the toughest moment of her career.
“I thought it would be an easy transition for me because I had been in the industry for a while, but it didn’t turn out that way. I assumed that people already knew me but getting shows was quite challenging,” she said.
