Timaya Opens Up About Struggling with Drug Addiction During Lockdown

Nigerian music sensation, Inetimi Alfred Timaya Odon, widely known as Timaya, revealed the challenging journey he faced while trying to overcome drug addiction in a recent interview with The Beat 99.9 FM, Lagos.

The ‘Dem Mama’ artist described his battle with drug dependency as a “tough fight,” emphasizing that he is not exempt from life’s struggles. Timaya candidly shared that he was introduced to drugs during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

“I am not a saint. I have done drugs. Breaking off from drugs was a hell, it was a tough fight,” Timaya admitted during the interview.

He narrated how the lockdown environment led him to question the seemingly heightened happiness of some young individuals in his home. Intrigued by their cheerful demeanor, he inquired about their secret, which turned out to be a substance called molly.

“When I took it, I did not understand myself. I was so happy that I dashed all the money in my pocket. So I wanted to just keep feeling like that. That was how I lost a lot of weight. I was not eating, I was just happy,” Timaya shared.

Reflecting on the impact of drug use on his well-being, he expressed concern about the artificial happiness it brought and the toll it took on his physical health.

“How you go just want dey happy? You are supposed to first of all, be happy naturally. But when you now need substance to make you happy, it replaces the natural happiness. So you have to be buying happiness,” Timaya explained.

Opening up about the extent of his drug use, Timaya admitted, “When I said I was taking molly, I was taking like three pills every day, and it felt like medication [laughs].”

Timaya’s honest account sheds light on the challenges many individuals face with substance abuse, even in the midst of success and fame.