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‘Mr Ibu’ − Fans mourn the passing of Nollywood star John Okafor
The veteran actor passed away at the age of 62.
Nigerian actor and comedian John Okafor died on Saturday. Picture: Instagram/@realmribu
Tributes continue to pour in for the legendary Nollywood actor John Okafor.
Okafor was popularly known for portraying the character of Ibu in the Nollywood hit film Mr Ibu.
According to Actors Guild of Nigeria president Emeka Rollas, the legendary actor suffered a cardiac arrest.
“I announce with a deep sense of grief that Mr Ibu didn’t make it. May his soul rest in peace,” Emeka said.
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John Okafor’s health struggles
In October last year, Okafor underwent a series of surgeries due to an ongoing illness.
His daughter released a statement on Instagram, opening up about his health issues and also asking for donations.
“Daddy has gone through seven successful surgeries, but to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery, one of his legs had to be amputated. This development has been hard on us all, but we’ve had to accept it as Daddy’s new reality to keep him alive.
“Please, we are still soliciting support from well-meaning Nigerians as this stage is still a very delicate one, and he needs all the help he can get,” the statement read.
In December, the family released another statement addressing rumours circulating on social media about his health.
The family clarified that only one leg was amputated due to complications related to blood clotting and other health challenges, not diabetes as it was widely speculated.
“We wish to correct some misconceptions making rounds on social media concerning the current state of our father’s health. First, we would like to state that our daddy wasn’t amputated on both legs but only one.
“The first amputation didn’t completely correct his health predicament, so the doctors had to go ahead to amputate the same leg further to ensure we didn’t lose him.
“Daddy’s cause of sickness is also not diabetes, but he’s had constant clotting of the blood in his leg (diseased blood vessels) and other health challenges posing a risk to his life; therefore, the need for the amputation.”
‘RIP Legend’
RIP legend continues to trend on social media as fans pay tribute to the legendary actor.
Here are a few reactions from X:
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