By Kevin Akor
LAGOS, Nigeria (chatnewstv.com) — Nearly two decades after a painful family separation cut off contact between him and his children, the estranged father of Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has gone public with an emotional appeal for forgiveness and reconciliation, reopening a deeply personal chapter that has remained closed for 18 years.
In an interview that has gone viral on social media and sparked widespread debate, Mr. Ughelumba, Bassey’s biological father, spoke about the collapse of his marriage, the years of silence that followed and what he described as repeated but unsuccessful attempts to reconnect with his sons.
The interview has renewed conversations about family estrangement, parental alienation and the human cost of broken marriages, even in the lives of globally celebrated figures.
Ughelumba, who is from Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State in southeastern Nigeria, said his family’s life together unfolded largely outside the country. He said his first three sons — Elvis, Mathew and Calvin Ughelumba — were born in Italy, while his youngest son, Michael, was born in Ireland. The family later moved to London, hoping to build a better future.
What began as a hopeful migration, he said, gradually unraveled amid marital disagreements. Ughelumba described the disputes as “normal husband-and-wife conflicts,” but said the situation took a drastic turn when his wife left suddenly with the children while he was away at work.
“That was the beginning of my exile,” he said, describing what followed as years of emotional isolation marked by unanswered questions and loss.
According to Ughelumba, communication with his children was completely severed for years. He said he did not hear from his estranged wife again until 2017, when she contacted him about obtaining Nigerian passports for the children. He said he responded immediately, provided the required documents and paid for flight tickets so the children could visit him.
During that brief reunion, Ughelumba said he made a conscious effort not to speak negatively about their mother. “I believed it was important to protect them from conflict,” he said.
He said the renewed contact was short-lived and ended again after Calvin began to secure professional football opportunities that would eventually lead to international recognition. From around 2020, Ughelumba said, he intensified his efforts to reconnect, insisting his motivation was paternal rather than financial or linked to fame.
One of the most emotional episodes he described occurred during the COVID-19 lockdown, when he traveled from London to Leicester in an attempt to see Calvin, who was then with Leicester City.
“I wasn’t going there because he was a footballer,” Ughelumba said. “I just wanted to see my son.”
He said officials at Leicester City helped contact Calvin using his childhood nickname, “Biggy,” which initially prompted a warm response. But he claimed the interaction ended abruptly after Calvin spoke with his mother.
“He told me to say whatever I had to say and leave,” Ughelumba said, describing the moment as devastating.
Ughelumba said he later traveled from Italy to Côte d’Ivoire during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and eventually moved to Abuja in another effort to seek reconciliation. None of those attempts, he said, succeeded.
Calvin Bassey’s rise in football has been rapid. He began his professional career at Leicester City before moving to Rangers in 2020, where he made more than 60 appearances and won the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup. In 2022, he joined Ajax in a reported record transfer of about 23 million euros, before returning to the English Premier League in 2023 with a move to Fulham.
On the international stage, the 26-year-old defender made his Super Eagles debut in 2022 and has featured prominently at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, establishing himself as a regular in Nigeria’s national team.
Earlier in his career, Bassey was registered under his father’s surname, Ughelumba, but later adopted his mother’s name. He has repeatedly and publicly credited his mother for raising him and his siblings, saying that from the age of six it was “just my mum and the boys.” He has said placing her name on his jersey was his way of honoring her sacrifices.
Ughelumba said he harbors no resentment toward his children and is not seeking money or public sympathy.
“I have no problem with my children,” he said. “Even if I am a devil, I cannot be a devil where my children are. I have been dying in silence, but I am still praying for peace.”
As of the time of publication, Calvin Bassey had not publicly responded to his father’s renewed appeal. The silence has left many questions unanswered, while the story continues to stir strong reactions about family, forgiveness and the private struggles that can exist behind public success.
