Nollywood actress, Oby Edozie, was recently rumoured to have instigated the arrest and subsequent detention of her mother by the police, after a minor disagreement. But in this interview with 'NONYE BEN-NWANKWO, she describes the story as false and talks about her love life.

You have not been around for some time now. Where have you been?

Oh yes. I went to shoot my movies in London. I flew some actors from Nigeria to the city for the purpose. I have been very busy ever since. People have requested interviews from me, but I refused because I felt there was really nothing new to know about me. They will have to wait till I release the new movies that will surely blow peoples' minds.

Tell us about the movies.

It is a big movie. It has to do with cancer. They are actually two movies, but I don't want to talk about the other one now. I am back home now and I will start the production of the second movie by next week or the following week. I will go to India to shoot the movie because the story line requires it. I am thinking ahead. I am thinking something positive.

Is the project the reason why nobody sees you around these days?

I have not really stayed in Nigeria for a long time, this year. Even before this project came up, I had spent most of the time travelling outside the country.

Have you heard that Tricia, who used to be your best friend, is getting married?

I heard the story when I came back and I thanked God for her. I wish her well.

Were you jealous?

Jealous of what? Tricia is older than me. Why should I be jealous of her? Even if we were born on the same day, I still don't have any reason to be jealous. Age is not an issue, really. Some friends of mine that are younger than me by fve years are all married. One of them got married in Abuja recently. I am older than her, but I didn't feel bad about it. I actually flew from Lagos to Abuja to attend her wedding. You don't have to get jealous when something good is happening to somebody else or that thing won't get to you.

Some people are saying that you have not been happy since you learnt of Tricia's wedding.

How do those people manage to know the way I feel? I am thinking of how to move forward in life. I am thinking of how to produce my movies and somebody is out there saying that I am not happy because someone else got married. I have somebody in my life, too. I don't have to blow it up or tell everybody that I have a boyfriend. It is my personal life. But then, am I so bad looking that men should not admire me? Do I look so terrible that I have to go everywhere to look for a husband? Marriage is not something you want to rush into today and rush out tomorrow. It is really uncalled for to say that I am sad because somebody else found happiness.

But they say you have been going from one church to the other praying hard to find a husband.

Since I returned from London, I have not attended a single church service, let alone jump from one church to the other. The story doesn't make sense.

A magazine report said you got your mother locked up in a police cell over a small matter.

When and where and how that happen? Anyway, I have spoken to a lawyer who has written a letter to the magazine. We will see in court and the person who wrote the story will tell the world the name of the police station where I locked my mother up. Some things are written about you in the papers and you take a chill pill. But I am all out for this particular story. I cannot leave it like that. What can your mother do to you in this world that you will have the mind to take her to the police and even lock her up? Your mother? This is very delicate. It is very annoying.

Where do you suspect the story originated from?

I think that story was sponsored by somebody to tarnish my image. I don't think the writer sat down and crafted that article.

Also they said the elders in your village placed a curse on you.

How can elders curse me? The elders that were praying for me? I travelled with my car for my father's memorial and all the elders were praying for me. They blessed the car and they blessed me. I have an award from my village. If you look at this, you will find that it doesn't make sense. It was cooked up to bring me down. They obviously knew I have something big coming up and they just decided to bring me down with the story. I don't have an idea who is behind the story. I can't place anybody, but only God knows and He will fight for me.

Are you really desperate to get married?

Do I look desperate? If I am desperate, I swear to God, I will take a guy to court tomorrow and get married to him. I can do that. But it has not got to that point. I am waiting for the marriage that will never break. I will have my kids and nothing will break the marriage. I will grow old with my husband.

We learnt that Festus Keyamo did not marry you because he was scared of your character.

I don't know why you are mentioning Festus Keyamo. Festus is my lawyer and I am his client. If I were a terrible person, my lawyer would not be the one in charge of this case. I don't have a personal relationship with Festus Keyamo. I am just his client and that is what we have together. If I am that terrible, he would have asked me to find another lawyer. I don't know where the story is coming from.

Is it true that your suitors abandoned you because they could not cope with your character?

Who are the guys? These are forged stories. They lack evidence and detail. Mention the name of the guys and what they do, at least. This is pure concoction. The idea is simply to write something bad about in order to bring me down. They want people to see me as somebody who is irresponsible. The Devil will put them to shame.

So are you getting married soon?

I cannot get married like that. In your own case, did you just get married like that? I am sure you are married. I know you didn't get married because of what people are saying. I am going to get married for myself. When I am ready, I will get married. I am not looking out to marry a very rich man. I might surprise everybody with one short man who is very ugly. All I am looking for is happiness. I am looking for a man who will cherish me and love me. I am not looking for a man's money. I am not looking for a man who is so handsome. I am going to get married for myself. When I am ready, I will get married. There are actresses who are older than me in this industry and they are not married. Is anybody killing them? Why is my own case different? What is this marriage thing about Oby Edozie? Look at me. Look at my height. Let me not blow my trumpet, but I am beautiful. I am okay. I am not so ugly to feel that I won't find a husband. I don't have any bad character. Even the ugly ones still get married to very handsome men. I am not desperate. I am very soft and emotional. I know who I am. I may look intimidating, but I am a very soft person. We are in an industry where people laugh with you, yet they say terrible things behind you. I am not looking at anybody's achievement. I am concerned about my own achievement and growth. I want to make progress. I am begging these enemies of progress to let me be. Let them leave me alone for a little while.

Are you involved in any relationship?

Of course, I am in a wonderful relationship.

Will it lead to marriage?

By the grace of God.

Has your man heard the story?

Of course, everybody has heard of it. It is really terrible. But the good thing is that people who are c,lose to me know what I can do. My uncles have been calling me on the phone. The writer of the story did not call me to confirm before publishing it. If you read that story, there was no place they mentioned that they called me to get my own reaction. You will know that the author of the story simply set out to humiliate me and to damage my image. Although I have people that can take up this issue on their own, I have decided to follow it up legally.

Don't you think you should just move on and forget this issue?

How can I forget it? Is it today that they have been writing lies about me? There are some things you see and you over look. The other day, I saw an interview on the Internet and they were quoting me, asking questions and putting their own answers in the interview. But I know I never granted anyone that interview. However, I overlooked it. But this case is so delicate. It is deeper than you think. This is an outright lie. It might damage me in future if I don't set the records straight now.

Are you saying that you have never been involved in a scandal before now?

Scandal? No. I will say I am a very blunt person. I say it as it is. That is why they say I am controversial. I am myself. Oby edozie doesn't have scandals. There is nothing like that. The only thing about Oby Edozie that went on and on was when somebody said I dated her ex boyfriend some years ago. It wasn't supposed to be scandalous. It wasn't supposed to be a story, but they made headlines out of it. It became the talk of the town. Which other scandal have you heard about me? What else is there? What else have I done? They just want to add this one to that story and say I am a bad person. But God will fight for me.