Esomnofu Ifechukwu, winner of the Teacher of the Year award, has shared how his past addiction to sports betting almost cost him everything.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Ifechukwu narrated how betting drained his finances in 2017, leaving him broke, indebted, and eventually forced to return to his parents’ home after being unable to pay his rent.

He revealed that the habit not only emptied his bank account but also made him sell personal belongings, including his phone, furniture, and generator, just to survive.

Describing it as one of the most painful experiences of his life, Ifechukwu said the incident remains a lesson that others should take seriously.

He cautioned against the dangers of gambling, warning that it can destroy lives when not properly controlled.

According to him:
“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.’”