The Love Story Of Baba Ijesa & Luminee

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• What Many Don’t Know About The Couple

+What LUMINEE Told City People Years Back

A few days back, Instagram was agog with the story of how popular celebrity designer, Abiodun Folashade Tokunbo, the CEO of Anjy Luminee Couture delivered a bouncing baby boy for actor, Baba Ijesa.

It came as a big surprise to many, as they kept asking. When did they start dating?

When did they fall in love? When did she get pregnant? When did she deliver?

We can tell you a lot about the couple. We can then tell you about this talented fashion designer who is now Baba Ijesa’s wife. Why did they keep their romance off social media until last Monday when Baba Ijesa broke the news.

Luminee explained why she chose to keep their marriage away from public attention.

She said Privacy remained important to her peace and personal well-being. She made this known in her post on Instagram, where she shared a photograph showing her journey with her husband over the years.

Tokunbo expressed gratitude despite the many challenges she had faced, saying discretion in personal matters had helped her protect her peace.

Baba Ijesa described her as “my ever beautiful wife,” while introducing their child as “King Kagar Omiyinka.”

She also revealed that the child was their first together after 12 years, while referencing her daughter. It remains unclear whether the couple had been dating for that long.

Tokunbo hails from ljesha Isu, Ekiti State, where she was born as the sixth daughter in a family of 8. She attended Hosanna Africa Primary School before proceeding to Methodist Girls High School for her secondary education.

She later obtained a National Diploma in Banking and Finance from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Lagos State University.

She launched her fashion brand in 2013, shortly after completing her final examinations at LASU and she is today a big designer who makes clothes for “A-List” Stars.

Expectedly, the news  of their Baby boy immediately went viral, minutes after the photos hit social media and it elicited widespread reaction. It was full of mixed reactions between those who believe Baba Ijesa deserves an opportunity to rebuild his life and those who think that the gravity of his offence and what he’s been through should have made him live his life quietly. Since last Monday it has been a heated debate on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platform.

The birth of their son comes at a significant period in Baba Ijesa’s personal life, marking what many view as a fresh beginning.

Last March, Luminee held a surprise baby shower at the Radisson Blue Hotel in Ikeja Lagos. It was well attended.

Last Monday, Baba Ijesa surprised his fans and followers by announcing that he was the father of her new born son, King Kagar Omiyinka.

Some critics took him on that how can Baba Ijesha, who was convicted in July 2022 and released from prison in November 2025, father a child, since conjugal visits are not permitted or allowed in prisons, here in Nigeria and that the announcement of the birth of their boy came about 7 months after his release from jail.

Not too long ago, Luminee spoke to City People about her rise to fame.

She said she didn’t learn Tailoring. She said her strong passion for Tailoring made her start her business. And today through hard work and dedication, she has been able to build a formidable business empire. She is constantly celebrated as one of the best designers in Nigeria.

What type of designs does she specialise in?

“I just joined the ready-to-wear business. Before now, I used to specialise in making Cinderalla ball dresses and I take my time to do it myself.

I usually commit full attention into what I do and that explains why no Client has ever complained about my job. They are always happy and satisfied with what I do, I thank God for everything. To make a Ball dress is not an easy task that just one person will do it alone. So I design ball dresses, six pieces, vee shape, cut and join and lots of other designs”.

Most of her designs always require a lot of attention and hard work. How easy has it been for her to achieve that?

“When God gives you a Talent from heaven, then it makes things easy for you, because I didn’t learn Tailoring. It came naturally. Nobody can come out and lay claim to the fact that I once learnt Tailoring from him or her. It was a Gift from God. Most times when I have plans of making a particular design, after cutting, I end up getting another masterpiece. I can’t even explain where the inspiration comes from.  I even get really surprised at some of my designs after adding one or two things together, it always turns out beautiful and they end up looking like clothes designed from abroad”.

“Most of my clients don’t choose designs for me, they only give me their fabric and have trust in what I will make out of those fabrics. So, it is just God’s gift right from when I was little”.

How did she get the inspiration to be a Tailor?

“My Mum had always wanted me to be a Lawyer but she didn’t have any idea of what I have in my head, but I feel more free and comfortable with my Dad around. He allows me exhibit my talent, I pick Teddy bears and make clothes with newspaper, gradually my interest started growing more and from there, I moved to Lagos, I use (Okirika) fairly used clothes to learn more about how clothes are made abroad and that was how I perfected my sewing”.

What was she doing before she set up her fashion house?

“After my secondary school education, I worked as a Sales Girl in Ado-Ekiti. I lost my Mum after my secondary school education. So I refused going back to my village to avoid being deceived by boys and take advantage of me, I saved all the money I made from doing Sales Girl. When Ibadan Polytechnic admission form came out, I obtained the form because I wanted to fulfil my late mother’s wish to become a Lawyer. When I finished my ND, I told myself I don’t want to go for HND but rather to the University. So I took direct entry to Lagos State University (LASU) and finished from Lasu.

But there is no hand work you will give me that I won’t deliver perfectly. But when it comes to books, I don’t know anything, I don’t even know how I graduated from University, (Laughs). Trust me I still graduated with 2.2. I was even wondering who marked my papers. And how did I do it. My Certificate is inside my house. I am not doing anything with it”.

“I have achieved a lot with Scissors, at least I am happy I was able to fulfil my mother’s wish by going to school and I always promise my father that I would build a house for him. I vowed that my husband must be educated and my children must go to the best schools and thank God today Angel is making me proud. I am happy today that from this my handwork, I have been able to build a house for my Dad, I have a building inside my father’s compound. Whatever your heart desire is, God will grant it, just believe”.

What has been her experience in the Fashion industry?

“Sir, you know I have been working with lots of Stars and they always want me to attend to them personally. So it has not been easy but it is well”.

“I have had so many experiences in this industry. Some will bring clothes and want it ready within 3 days. I will collect it and find a way around it. If you don’t train yourself to be a champion in this field, your workers will misbehave and run you down. Then the students too coupled with family issues but I give God all the glory that I am married to a wonderful husband, most times I tell myself I don’t deserve such a man. He understands me. Even as a Doctor, he makes out time for me. There are lots of jealousy and envy in the industry. The moment they see big clients with you, they start getting angry, forgetting the fact that it is not my doing but God’s grace. Life is turn by turn. Imagine designing for over 100 people with different designs and they will all be looking good, it is not easy at all”.

How does she satisfy all her client?

“It’s not easy, but I know I am blessed. If it is book I will have F9, but if it is nylon I am given to make a dress it will come out excellent, God has blessed me with that, I went to Mountain of Fire for 7 days for Prayers and Fasting before I started my work because I don’t want to make mistakes in life, I have a lot of talents and didn’t know which one to settle for. So I sought for God’s grace to make the right decision, I make my hair and makeup myself, I always go to God first before making any decision, without tape rule, I can make clothes, lots of my clients are not even in Nigeria. Some I have never seen them before. Yet I make clothes for them and we have not had any issue, the only thing I ask for is their measurement and people don’t come back to my shop for amendment, no matter the shape I will make a good dress for you”.

She is known for expensive charges. What are her charges like?

“Before you start charging people so high, you have to start from somewhere. When I started this job, I was collecting 1,000 naira, but honestly, it is not all about the money. But I am happy someone is wearing what I made. It is a privilege but later it was 5k, then from 20k to 30k.

It all depends on their job, I charge 500k, 1 million, it all depends on the nature of the job, I am not just collecting money but people or clients will see what they are spending so much on, people complain I don’t respond to messages but it is not my fault, I am not arrogant, as I am talking to you I have over 10,000 messages on my phone which I have not responded to, I always try as much as possible to finish a particular job before collecting another. So I can concentrate and the workload won’t be much, I derive joy seeing my Clients happy. If you come to my house you can’t see traces of sewing clothes in my house because I don’t like collecting too many clothes at the same time”.