Caroline Sam, the gospel singer popularly known as Maheeda, was raised as an orphan who hit the street at a tender age of 13 to fend for herself during which time she became a prostitute.
In fact, Maheeda could not ascertain her real name because she was raised by foster parents whose name she adopted.
Now, things have changed as Maheeda has turned her life around and eventually became someone to reckon with in the music industry.
The slim built mother-of-one stormed the music scene about two years ago with a single, Oko Yapa that rocked the airwaves.
Indeed, Maheeda attracted attention not because her song was extra-ordinary but because of the fact that she appeared weird so much that her almost nude pictures were everywhere, and she was living big.
Recently, the ‘Naija Bad Girl’ as she’s used to be called, turned a new leaf by giving her life to Christ, which has made her embrace gospel music instead of the secular music that made her famous.
She credits Pastor Chris Oyakhilome for teaching her the word of GOD.
In her interview with Sunnewsonline, she says: 'I used to have boyfriends, I had like two or three, I used to be the ‘Naija Bad Girl’ but I changed it. I did not push them aside, I pray for them always so they can see the light the way I did. Initially, going to them was difficult because I was not strong but now I go to them, we pray together and share the word.'
'Yeah, I was a prostitute and I’m not ashamed to say it. It’s past tense and we all have our past. The beauty of it is that if Christ has done something in your life and you can’t say it, what is the need? I think I went through all that so I can really speak out.'
'I have been through all that so I can speak, talk to the girls who are still into it and make myself an example. Although, it’s not nice for people to hear and it’s not something to be proud of but for the sake of those prostitutes outsides, I have to say it.'
Maheeda also talks about how her mother left her with a neighbour and returned after seven years.
'The lady my mum left me with in our compound took care of me through primary school. After that, I felt I was being maltreated so I ran away. I think I ran away when I was 14 or so and I was surviving on my own by doing house help, bar attendant, and of course, the club girl, so that was how I survive' says the singer.
Maheeda speaks of the support her husband gives her and hope to have children together in the future
However she says; 'even after getting married I still have this urge of going out to meet a man. But I felt it should not be so.
'I’m trying to let people know there is a spirit behind prostitution, if not, why after getting married, I have everything, I live in Lekki, I’m driving a very big car and my husband gives me whatever I want, so why would I still feel like going into prostitution?
'There is a spirit behind it. I continued prostitution even after getting married. The only thing that changed me was being born again and being delivered.'
'I was so bad that if I had this boy friend and he messed up I just moved to the next one. That was basically why I did the track, Oko Yapa (husbands are numerous). They were not given me money so if you messed up I moved to the next because there were many of them.'
- Sunnewsonline
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