Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has opened up about his past nicotine addiction, revealing that he smoked up to 40 cigarettes daily for 13 years. The television host made the disclosure on the latest episode of his podcast, Mentality with Ebuka, which aired on Friday, May 22. The episode featured singer and pastor Banky W and medical content creator Aproko Doctor in a candid conversation about addiction, recovery, shame, and the difficulty of breaking harmful habits.
Ebuka's Smoking Addiction
Ebuka revealed that he began smoking in JSS3 due to peer pressure. 'I started smoking in JSS3, which is crazy young,' he said. 'It was basically peer pressure, wanting to prove myself, wanting to belong. By the time I was done with secondary school, I had become full-on. Got into university, and by university, I was doing about two packs a day. That's about 40 sticks of cigarettes every single day.'
He added that his exit from the habit was less a dramatic decision and more a test of willpower. 'The last stick of cigarettes I had was in February 2008. I didn't quit. I just kept saying let me see how much longer I will hold out for, and now it's been almost 18 years.'
Banky W's Struggle with Pornography Addiction
Banky W used the same platform to revisit a confession he had made publicly before: his years-long struggle with pornography addiction. He traced it back to a freshman dormitory in a New York university, where a classmate had shared an open hard drive filled with explicit content accessible to the entire floor. 'I wonder how many of us got trapped in that moment,' he said.
He described the experience of trying to stop as a confrontation with something far more entrenched than he had anticipated. 'When it's now time to stop, you realise you're dealing with demons that are much stronger than you. That was where the reality dawned on me.' He said it took a deliberate journey to reach a place of freedom, and that he has since addressed the issue openly from the pulpit, part of what he described as a growing willingness among pastors to tackle subjects previously considered too uncomfortable for the church.
Conversation with Aproko Doctor
Aproko Doctor joined the conversation, providing medical insights into addiction and recovery. The episode is the latest in Ebuka's Mentality series, which has carved out a space for honest, personal conversations that Nigerian public figures rarely have on record.
