Ibrahim Yekini (born on January 1, 1980; Age: 45 years old), popularly called “Itele D’icon,” is a Nigerian actor, screenwriter, movie producer, and director best known for his role in Kesari (2018), Oba Bi Olorun (2021) and Romeo (2022).
In Nollywood circles, Ibrahim is particularly recognized for writing, producing, and directing the popular Yoruba hit movie, Return Of Kesari in 2019. Another well-received work of Ibrahim’s is the controversial drama film Lucifer.
Since his emergence in the Nigerian movie industry, Yekini has always tried t distinguish his work of art by making it unique and entirely above all expectations. But beyond his career, you will find out more interesting facts you possibly don’t know about this great actor as you read further.
Summary of Ibrahim Yekini’s Bio
- Full Name: Ibrahim Yekini Bakare
- Nickname: Itele D’icon
- Gender: Male
- Date of Birth: January 1, 1980
- Ibrahim Yekini’s Age: 45 Years Old
- Ethnicity: Yoruba
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Islam
- Marital Status: Married
- Ibrahim Yekini’s Wife: Olayiwola Aminat Omowunmi
- Ibrahim Yekini’s Children: Ameerat Bakare and 4 Other Children
- Ibrahim Yekini’s Height in Inches: 68 Inches
- Ibrahim Yekini’s Height in Centimeters: 172 cm
- Ibrahim Yekini’s Weight: 69 kg (152 lbs)
- Ibrahim Yekini’s Net Worth: $350 000
- Famous for: Being a Nollywood Actor, Director, and Producer
- Ibrahim Yekini’s Instagram: @iteledicon01
Ibrahim Yekini is 45 Years Old
Ibrahim Yekini Bakare was born in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 1, 1980, to a lower-class family. He belongs to the Yoruba-speaking ethnic group, located mainly in the Western part of Nigeria. Ibrahim is a Nigerian by nationality. Furthermore, he belongs to the Capricorn zodiac group and is a Muslim by religion.
Very little is known about Ibrahim Bakare’s childhood and family background. There is no mention of any siblings or even close family members of the actor, and it seems like a deliberate move to keep his life private.
Ibrahim attended a public primary and secondary school. He first obtained his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) from Zawaye Primary School, after which he proceeded to Ahmadiyah Secondary School, where he received his Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).
Ibrahim’s educational pursuits ended at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) in Abeokuta, where he obtained his HND. He does not have a college degree, nor does he ever plan to obtain one, as he is satisfied with his HND.
Ibrahim Yekini Hails From Ogun State, Western Nigeria
Although Ibrahim was born in Bariga, Lagos, Nigeria, in Southwest Nigeria, he is actually from Abeokuta in Ogun State. Ogun State is one of the Yoruba-speaking states in Nigeria and can be found just outside the Lagos State border.
Besides being Yoruba, Ibrahim also developed close ties to the Northern part of Nigeria. This is because he grew up there, particularly in Kano State, where he had most of his early education. Ibrahim speaks Arabic, Yoruba, and Hausa languages very fluently.
Itele D’Icon Began His Acting Career in 1998
Ibrahim Yekini Bakare began his journey into the Nigerian film industry in 1998, when he was only 18 years old. The young thespian first sharpened his drama skills by joining the then-popular drama academy, the Folorunsho Adejobi theatrical group.
It is, however, noteworthy that the young actor first trained as a boxer before joining the movie world. He trained at a gymnasium and had dreamt of pursuing it as a career before he was advised by his godfather to focus on acting instead.
Yekini was able to land an internship at the academy, located in Iju Ishaga, Lagos State. Not long after, he made his debut drama appearance in the Yoruba telenovela ‘Ijakumo Mefa.’ Ibrahim was introduced to the Nollywood industry by a close friend, who encouraged him to give movies a try.
His big screen debut happened in the year 2000 when Ibrahim was featured in his first Nollywood movie titled ‘Dapo Tori Ti E,’ where he played the character of a criminal. Such action-packed roles eventually became his niche as the actor seemed to play them exceptionally well.
So far, Yekini has worked with various movie veterans and industry experts, including Kelvin Ikeduba, Odunlade Adekola, Tunde Usman Femi Adebayo, and many more. With such a rich cocktail of stage advisers surrounding him, Ibrahim Yekini decided to try movie directing and production.
His first shot at movie production was a drama titled Itele, in which Ibrahim played the titular character. It was also where Ibrahim got the nickname that would later become his signature name, “Itele D’Icon.” The young actor was taught movie directing by Don Richard, who helped him produce his second work ‘Ekun Meta’ which catapulted him into the limelight.
Some of the projects in which Ibrahim Yekini has been featured either as a scriptwriter, director, or producer include: ‘Anini,’ ‘Akoba,’ ‘Kesari,’ ‘Lucifer,’ and many others. In 2019, Ibrahim wrote, produced, and directed his signature film, the Yoruba hit movie ‘Return Of Kesari.’ One of the recent movies he directed and produced is Father Abraham
He co-directed the film with renowned movie director Tope Adebayo. His latest project is a movie titled ‘Ololufe’ to be released later this year. Presently, Ibrahim is believed to be worth over 300000 US dollars as of 2022.
Ibrahim Yekini’s Movies and TV Shows
- Lucifer
- Aleba
- Owe Akalamagbo
- Oloko Meta
- Osunwon Mi
- The Gardner
- Oga Alani Ogidan
- Apajuba
- Anjola
- Olutowo
- Golden Boys
- The Cokers
- Anini
- Billionaire’s Daughters
- Romeo (2022), as Rotimi
- Ojukoro (2022), as Sesan
- King of Thieves (2022), as Abinbesu
- Imelda (2022), as Temi
- Wasila Coded Reloaded (2022), as
- Bonje
- Regardless (2022), as Tunde
- Ajibade (2021)
- Jankariwo (2021), as Show
- Jamal (2021)
- The Cokers (2021), as Adewusi
- President Kuti (2021)
- Oba Bi Olorun (2021), as Aremu
- Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020), as Jericho
- 77 Bullets (2019), as Silent
- Adebimpe Omo Oba (2019), as Adewole
- Kesari (2018)
- The Ghost and the Tout (2018), as Ghetto Tout
- Awusa (2017)
- Omo University (2015), as Coal
Films Directed and Produced by Ibrahim Yekini include:
- Romeo
- Ojukoro
- Imelda
- Jankariwo
- President Kuti
- Oba Bi Olorun
- Kesari
- Gbakadara (2019)
- Baba Omo (2019)
- Zino (2019)
- AWORAN (2019)
- Kadara Olohun (2019)
Ibrahim Yekini’s Awards and Recognitions
For his works and achievements in the Nigerian movie industry, Ibrahim has been nominated for several prestigious awards, some of which he has won. They include:
- Nominated for City People Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor of the Year (Yoruba) in 2018
- Nominated for City People Movie Award for Movie Director of the Year in 2019
- Won Best Actor at the BON Awards in 2019
- Won Best Actor at the BON Awards in 2020
- Won Best Producer at the City People Awards in 2019
- Won Best Movie for ‘Kesari’ at the City People’s Awards in 2019
- Won Best Producer and Director at the Emperor Awards in 2021
Ibrahim Yekini Has Been Married to Omowunmi for 8 Years
The movie producer and director met and fell in love with a woman named Olayiwola Aminat Omowunmi many years back. After dating for a couple of years, the two finally wedded each other in June 2016.
Not much is known about Yekini’s wife but the actor, while celebrating her birthday, published a position on his Instagram page where he describes her as an amazing wife, mom, and homemaker. This indicates that she supports her husband’s excelling career in the movie industry.
The Kute actor ad his wife Omowunmi welcomed their first child together in 2018, and they named her Ameerat Bakare. In April 2022, the couple welcomed their second child, a baby girl whose name had not been made public. The actor was previously married to a woman named Dupe, but the two got divorced after a while.
Scandals involving the Actor
Before Ibrahim’s union with Omowunmi, he was initially wedded to a woman named Dupe. Details of Ibrahim and Dupe’s marriage aren’t public knowledge since there are no reports to account for information like how they met, when and where they got married, and how long they were married. However, Dupe and Ibrahim Yekini were said to have welcomed four children together.
After the marriage crashed, Dupe went on her way along with the children, with the agreement that they would be fully provided for by their father. However, several online reports have claimed that the movie star has failed to keep up with his end of the bargain, and he was blamed for neglecting his four children.
Initially, Ibrahim denied the accusations. However, he later opened up to the public about some undisclosed health issues he was facing. According to the actor, his ailing health affected his finances, preventing him from sending the regular monthly upkeep for his kids. He further apologized for his initial outburst, blaming the entire episode on frustration.
He finally promised that he was going to make amends with his family and would provide for them moving forward. However, time will have to reveal whether the actor will keep to his promise or not.