By Aaior K. Comfort

Veteran comedian Atunyota Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, has shared the story of how his desire to have another son with his wife, Mary, at age 59, led to the unexpected arrival of triplets.

In a recent interview on the Leadership Podcast with Stephen Akintayo, Ali Baba recounted how his wife, feeling the emptiness of their home after their children left for studies abroad, expressed a longing for one more child. Initially, she considered adopting, but later decided to pursue In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) to have another baby of their own.

“We decided to fertilize two eggs, hoping for at least one successful pregnancy,” Ali Baba explained. However, their plans changed dramatically when one of the fertilized eggs split into two, resulting in triplets.

“Madam had always wanted a son. She had two daughters, and we talked about it. She suggested adopting, but then decided it was better to have our own. We thought we’d have just one, but God had other plans,” he shared.

Despite his initial hesitation due to financial concerns, Ali Baba eventually agreed to the procedure. He mentioned that when his wife and the doctor discovered the surprise of triplets, they kept it a secret from him initially.

“Sometimes, when we ask God for one million, He gives us two million. We were looking for two, and we got three,” he joked. The couple welcomed three boys on April 1, but many dismissed the announcement as an April Fools’ prank until the triplets were formally dedicated in Lagos.