By Balogun Kamilu Lekan
Biography
Richard Mofe-Damijo, famously known as RMD, is an actor, writer, producer, lawyer, and journalist.
Richard, a native of the Aladja community of Udu Kingdom, Delta State, has starred in more than 100 movies and has won numerous awards for the craft.
He also previously served as the Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism.
Education
Richard Mofe Damijo attended Midwest College, Warri, and Anglican Grammar School for his secondary education before heading to the University of Benin, where he bagged a degree in Theatre Arts.
RMD also bagged a degree in law at the University of Lagos in 2004.
Career
RMD started acting in his secondary school days when he belonged to an acting group. He got his debut acting role when he starred in a soap opera, “Ripples,” in the 80s, where he earned his breakthrough into the industry.
Before acting full-time, RMD worked as a reporter for Metro Magazine, The Guardian, and Concord Newspaper.
His first breakthrough came after his impeccable role in “Out of Bounds,” a movie he wrote and produced.
RMD has starred in major movie projects alongside some of Nigeria’s most excellent faces on screen, like Zack Orji, Stella Damasus-Aboderin, Chioma Chukwuka, Liz Benson, Sola Sobowale, Bukky Ajayi, Bimbo Akintola, and many more.
His notable role in “Diamond Ring” earned him an opportunity to work with some of the biggest producers and directors in the industry, like Tunde Kelani and Tade Ogidan, amongst others.
RMD was also featured alongside Ramsey Nouah and Mercy Johnson in “30 Days In Atlanta”, the highest-grossing movie in Nigerian cinema. A film produced by Ayo Makun and directed by Robert Peters.
Aside from having an illustrious career in acting and briefly working in the media, RMD is also a politician. He served as the Special Adviser of Culture and Tourism in Delta State in 2008. He was later appointed as the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in 2009 by the then Governor of Delta State Emmanuel Uduaghan. A position he occupied till 2015
Marriage
RMD was married to May Ellen before her death in 1996. He later remarried to Jumobi Adegbesan.
He has five children, three from his previous marriage and two with his current wife.
Net worth
Richard Mofe-Damijo’s net worth is reportedly valued at $7 million. However, NewsWireNGR cannot independently verify this.
Achievements
Some of his awards and nominations include:
- Best Actor in a Leading Role – Africa Movie Academy Awards
- Best of Nollywood Awards-Special Recognition Award
- Africa Movie Academy Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award
- Africa Movie Academy Awards – Overall Best Actor in a Leading Role
At the 2016 GLO-CAF Awards, RMD was a cohost alongside Nigerian journalist Mimi Fawaz.
He also received a Black Star Honor at the Rhymes on Da Runway in Gold Coast, Ghana, in 2021.
Below is a glimpse of his filmography.
- Out of Bounds
- Hostages
- Diamond Ring
- Scores to Settle
- Freedom
- Love
- Keeping Faith: Is That Love
- When God Says Yes
- Romantic Attraction
- Emotional Pain
- The Intruder
- I Will Die For You
- The Legend
- I want Your Wife
- The Mayors
- True Romance
- Burning Desire
- Critical Assignment
- Indecent Act
- Engagement Night
- Critical Decision
- Behind Closed Doors
- The Bridesmaid
- Darkest Night
- Welcome to Nollywood
- 30 Days in Atlanta
- Oloibiri
- Okafor’s Law
- The Grudge
- Hush
- Dinner
- The Wedding Party
- Three Wise Men
- 10 days in Sun City
- The Wedding Party
- I Love My Wife Even After Death
- Boxing Day: A Day After Christmas
- My God never fail me
- God Calling
- Chief Daddy
- Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons
- Cross Roads
- The Hour
- Castle And Castle
- Blood And Oil
Controversy
When serving as the Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, RMD allegedly looted N50 million. This mess reportedly involved RMD and the acting General Manager of Delta State’s Tourism Board, Ms. Philo Nkem Ajufo.
RMD, however, denied any involvement in the allegation.
In 2021, Richard was also accused of cheating on his wife, Jumobi, with Chioma Ilomuanya, an interior designer whom he met at a movie set.
An Instagram blogger, @gistlove, revealed this in a post.
Giving details about Chioma, the blogger wrote, “She is very secretive but some of her friends are aware especially her Abuja clique because he was in Abuja with her sometimes in late 2020 and they were out openly. She goes to his house to help him out with stuff when madam is away.”
“She’s a permanent guest in his hotel room in Lagos anytime he lodges and he is so in love with her that he will leave his wife at home alone to go meet her. That’s why i’m always laughing when he posts love story about him and his wife “.
RMD, however, reacted to the allegation during an interview on the popular show, WithChude
“Then there’s another story of me having another young wife in Lagos and I’m gonna leave my wife soon. You know, so it’s really difficult sometimes for her to navigate through all of this. This is the age of social media, there are people who, they look at you and without any regard for the sanctity of your marriage or your home, all you want to do is just tear me down like oh he’s in love with somebody else, he’s going to leave his wife tomorrow, like how do you even wake up and do that, what have I done to you? Have I come to you to abuse you and your marriage? Why do people like to see celebrity marriages crash? And what had helped is that I’ve never really seen myself as a celebrity and so my marriage is not a “celebrity marriage” and so she has kept it”
