A cease-and-desist notice has been issued to media personality Robert Ekpo on behalf of his estranged wife, On-Air Personality Mayowa Lambe, demanding a public retraction and N100 million in damages over statements he made about her on a podcast.
The notice, dated April 22 and signed by K. Umoh Esq., was posted on the official X account of Yolanda George-David, founder of Aunt Landa’s Bethel Foundation on Tuesday.
It was issued on behalf of Mayowa through the foundation’s legal department, which focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation and legal support of survivors of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
It was addressed to Robert Ekpenyong Ekpo and demanded that he immediately cease further publication of alleged defamatory statements, pull down all related content across his platforms, issue a public retraction and apology via the same platforms used to spread the claims, and pay N100 million in damages.
The notice also warned that failure to comply within three days would result in legal proceedings, including claims for aggravated damages, injunctive relief and criminal complaints to appropriate authorities. Third parties who spread the claims online were also put on notice.
The notice read, “You are hereby required to: Immediately cease and desist from further publication or repetition of all defamatory statements.
“Remove all existing defamatory content across all platforms.
“Issue a clear, unqualified, and public retraction of all false statements.
“Publish a full public apology to Our Client via the same platforms used to disseminate the defamatory content.
“Pay the sum of ₦100,000,000.00 as damages.”
The legal action followed Ekpo’s appearance on a recently released episode of The Honest Bunch podcast, where the comedian and radio presenter gave an emotional account of the breakdown of his marriage to Lambe, alleging infidelity, deception and financial strain spanning over a decade.
Roby and Mayowa married in November 2015 after meeting on Instagram, keeping most details of their relationship private.
The dispute burst into public view when reports emerged that Lambe had remarried another man in Texas, United States, without either party having publicly confirmed their separation.
“After 11 years of marriage, I woke up to videos and pictures of my wife on Instagram getting married to another man,” Ekpo said on the podcast.
He alleged that Lambe secretly used contraceptives throughout their marriage while he underwent fertility tests in the belief that he was responsible for the couple’s inability to have children.
“I am 48 years old, I don’t have a kid, I started going for tests because I thought I was the problem, I thought I had fertility issues. I later found out that she was taking contraceptives,” he said.
Ekpo also alleged that Lambe deceived him about the purpose of a trip to Miami, claiming she had travelled for a procedure that would aid conception.
“Mayowa travelled to Miami to do BBL. She told me she went for surgery that would enable her to conceive,” he said.
He further alleged that even routine communication became a point of suspicion during the marriage, with Lambe reportedly questioning him over messages sent to her Instagram inbox.
“If I send my wife a message on her Instagram DM, she would question me why I was sending a message there. She would say ‘they (immigration) check’,” he said.
Ekpo said Lambe had been abroad since 2021 and that he funded her return trip to Nigeria in 2025, only to be received coldly at the airport.
“Since 2021, I have not seen Mayowa again, until last year, I sent her ticket money to come to Nigeria. I went to the airport in two cars. I could not get a clip of hugging my wife.
“She did not kiss me. I slept in the living room for two days. I will send her N200k from the N500k gig,” he said.
He further alleged that Lambe shared an apartment abroad with a male flatmate who he later discovered had been intimate with her.
“She got a house and got a male flatmate. I was not comfortable with it, only for me to find out two days ago that the flatmate was sleeping with her. (It was not the same guy she married). I saw a picture of her sitting on a man’s leg at a restaurant,” he said.
Reflecting on the toll of the relationship, Ekpo said: “10 years of my life. If I had a kid out of wedlock, I would have justified that Mayowa can do whatever she likes, what did I do, but just love.
“Mayowa travelled for six years; with the little money I was earning, I was sending money to Mayowa every time. I was sending flowers.”
The cease-and-desist notice disputed Ekpo’s account on several fronts.
It stated that the traditional marriage between both parties “was mutually terminated with the full knowledge and consent of both families prior to May 11, 2025,” and that no subsisting marital relationship had existed since that date.
The document alleged that Ekpo embarked on “a deliberate and sustained campaign of falsehood, using online platforms and public broadcasts” to spread fabricated narratives about Lambe, including “false allegations regarding infidelity, financial dependency, moral character, and the existence of a marital relationship.”
It added that the statements appeared “calculated to mislead the public, attract attention, and generate sympathy at the expense of our client’s reputation.”
In a direct rebuttal of Ekpo’s specific claims, the notice stated that Lambe possessed verifiable evidence of her own financial contributions to the relationship, documented attempts to facilitate his relocation and advancement abroad, as well as medical and fertility-related records showing that conception efforts were initiated and funded by her.
It also cited communications, including social media interactions and third-party correspondences, which it said directly contradicted his public assertions.
The notice further alleged that despite repeated interventions by family members, mentors and counsellors regarding his conduct, Ekpo had persisted in publishing the claims.
It stated that his actions constituted “serious defamation, causing emotional distress, reputational injury, and loss of goodwill,” for which Lambe was entitled to substantial legal redress.
It further stated that his conduct had exposed Lambe to “widespread online trolling and coordinated defamatory commentary from individuals acting on your false representations.”
The controversy has continued to generate reactions on social media, with public opinion divided.
While Ekpo aired his grievances openly, Lambe largely avoided direct engagement, instead posting messages suggesting she was at peace with her decisions.
Ekpo had not publicly responded to the notice as of the time of filing this report.
