‘How I Accidentally Discovered I Am An Adopted Child’ – Joke Silva

Veteran Nollywood actress, Joke Silva shocked many when she revealed that she was not a natural child of late lawyer, Chief E.A Silva who was the then Babajiro of Lagos and his late wife, Dr Abimbola Silva, reputed to be Nigeria’s first female medical doctor.

At the recent Annual Conference of Heritage Adoption Support and Advocacy Group (HASAAG) in Lagos, the thespian revealed that her family also kept the fact that she was adopted a secret from her, until she accidentally discovered that fact: “But I got to know years later when I wanted to travel and was looking for my passport where my mum kept it.

Since she was not around, I opened the box in her absence and I saw my adoption papers. I never discussed it with my mum because I felt it was something that would hurt her, that was why, it was kept secret from me.”

Before her discovery however, an older cousin had tried to let her know the fact that she was not a natural child of the Silvas’, “I remembered going out with my cousin and we met a big cousin.

She introduced me as ‘my cousin’s daughter and this is Dr Silva’s daughter.’ Then, the older cousin was like, ‘Dr. Silva ke? Se Doctor Silva bimo ni? (meaning does Dr. Silva have a child?).

I was so confused and when I got home I told my mum, ‘I met this lady that says you never had a child.’ My mum froze and she said, ‘don’t mind them, they are used to rubbish talk.’

But I had incredible memories of my amazing legal parents for allowing me to do my A Level in England and going to one of the best schools in Bournemouth.

The 56 year-old actress said before her adoption, she lived in a foster home of the Red Cross in Yaba, Lagos.