Togo and Tottenham Hotspurs of England striker, Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor, has claimed that his own mother and relatives have been plotting juju (witchcraft) against him aimed at bringing his career to a premature end.

“At the airport my mum said, ‘Go to France and you can change the way this family lives’. She knew that if I succeeded in football we could have a better life and finally get out of poverty. At 15, I wasn’t just playing for my own glory, I was playing for the sake of my family,” Emmanuel Adebayor once told the Daily Mail in an interview back in 2009.

It’s all a different story nowadays as a now matured and wealthy Sheyi Adebayor has strongly defended his decision to stay away from his family by accusing his mother of using witchcraft to attack him, the mother he once hailed as the best in the world and went with to receive the Africa footballer of the year award in Lagos.

The now overly rich Togo captain apparently sent his mother packing from his house over a year ago and has not set eyes or spoken with her since.

Adebayor’s sister called Maggie told a radio station in Accra that the footballer has abandoned their mother and family and won't even respond to calls from his mother whom he has not seen in over a year.

“As at now, our mother is selling polythene bags, padlocks and other things on the (Ghana/Togo) border. Our mother has not seen him for more than a year and he rejects her calls anytime. Our mother is not calling him for his money, she just wants to see him because she loves him very much,” Adebayor’s sister told Peace FM.

In a sharp response, Adebayor confirmed to the same radio station this morning that he has neglected his mother and is out of touch with her and his siblings because they have an evil agenda against him.

Asked when was the last time he spoke to his mother, Adebayor replied, “How can I talk to a mother who together with my sisters have been plotting juju against me?”

•Adapted from allsports.com.gh. Photo shows Adebayor and mum during happier times.