By Oluwapelumi Oluwayemi
Former Big Brother Naija contestant Alex Unusual has opened up about her traumatic past on the Unpack podcast.
During the interview, she shared harrowing experiences of abuse and bullying both at home and in school.
Alex recounted how, as a child, she was harshly punished by family members for her well-intentioned actions.
One incident involved her aunt punishing her for giving clean water to their pigs instead of dirty water.
Alex explained,
“I couldn’t understand why I was expected to provide dirty water for living beings. I cleaned the pig’s buckets and gave them fresh water, but the pigs refused to drink it. When they returned, I was accused of trying to kill the pigs intentionally.”
She also described how she was unfairly labeled as a thief.
“They would punish me throughout the night, causing me to be the last one to leave the hostel the next morning. So, whenever something went missing, I was automatically blamed,” Alex said.
She recounted an incident where she was beaten by her classmates who accused her of stealing biscuits, despite her objections and evidence to the contrary.
“They even found some provisions in my locker that belonged to a senior, which led to more beatings and accusations,” she added.
Alex’s experiences of being wrongly accused and harshly punished were compounded by rumours and stigma, including one friend suggesting she might have a condition that made her steal unknowingly, and the implication that she needed church prayers for her alleged behavior.
“A friend even asked me if I had the sickness of people who steal without knowing. They said they needed to take me to church for prayers.”
