Teacher of the Year Winner, Opens Up on Struggles with Betting

• Teacher of the Year award winner, has shared how betting nearly ruined his life in 2017. He revealed that gambling drained his savings, forced him to sell personal belongings, and eventually made him move back to his parents’ house after failing to pay rent.

• He described the experience as a painful lesson and warned others about the dangers of betting, stressing it can destroy lives if not controlled.

Esomnofu Ifechukwu, the winner of the prestigious Teacher of the Year Competition, has opened up about his past struggles with gambling, revealing how betting nearly destroyed his life.

In a heartfelt post on Facebook, Ifechukwu recalled how, back in 2017, his addiction to betting left him financially stranded. He explained that the habit not only emptied his bank account but also forced him to sell off personal belongings just to survive. Eventually, his inability to keep up with rent payments pushed him to return to his parents’ home.

Describing the experience as one of the most painful chapters of his life, the award-winning teacher said it remains a constant reminder of the dangers of gambling.

He cautioned young people and others drawn to betting, stressing that the practice can ruin lives if not controlled.

Ifechukwu said: “This innocent face you are seeing here? Don’t let it deceive you. I was smiling outside, but inside my chest, my village people were playing drum.

“Betting finished me that year. One ticket destroyed everything. Bank account — empty. Pocket — empty. I even dropped my phone as collateral (imagine me begging them not to reset it). At one point, I sold all my so-called properties — plastic chair and one small tv, generator, etc — and moved back to my parents’ house because landlord had no joy.

“That was 2017, eight years ago. But the memory still feels fresh. If you can’t control betting, please don’t even try it. Before you move from “big boy” to “please, can I borrow small airtime.”