‘I Started Smoking in JSS3’ — Ebuka Opens Up on 13-Year Addiction Battle

• Media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has opened up about his long battle with smoking addiction.

Popular Nigerian media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has revealed that he battled smoking addiction for 13 years after starting the habit while he was still in junior secondary school.

Ebuka made the disclosure during a recent episode of the “MENtality” podcast, where he appeared alongside singer Banky W and social media influencer Aproko Doctor.

According to the TV host, he began smoking when he was in JSS3 and gradually became heavily addicted over the years.

“I started smoking JSS3. I smoked for 13 years. By the time I entered university, I was smoking two packs a day. I was a heavy smoker,” Ebuka said.

He explained that he eventually decided to quit after making conscious and deliberate efforts to overcome the addiction.

During the conversation, Banky W also opened up about his own personal struggles, revealing that he became addicted to pornography while trying to avoid promiscuity.

According to the singer, he mistakenly believed pornography would help him stay away from unhealthy relationships with women.

“I was trying to battle pornography and decided that instead of moving from woman to woman, I should just be watching pornography,” he said.

Reacting to the confession, Ebuka noted that many people often fall into new addictions while trying to escape previous ones.

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Health influencer Aproko Doctor added that many harmful addictions are often rooted in emotional pain and escapism.

“Human beings have two ambitions. The first is to avoid pain. The second is to chase pleasure. A lot of drug use comes because a lot of people are trying to avoid pain,” he explained.

The trio emphasised the importance of self-awareness, discipline, self-regulation, and emotional healing in overcoming addictions and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Their revelations have since sparked conversations online, with many Nigerians praising the celebrities for speaking openly about personal struggles often hidden from the public.

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