In what has been described as a big loss to the Nollywood industry, veteran Nollywood actor John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, has finally passed on after suffering from a strange sickness for a long period of time.
The veteran actor reportedly died in an undisclosed hospital in Lagos State after suffering from a cardiac arrest, barely three months after he had one of his legs amputated. Mr. Ibu’s health challenge was made public in the last quarter of 2023, a development that saw well-meaning Nigerians crowdfunding for his medical bills, which were at the time said to be overwhelming for him and his family to upset.
Prior to his family’s call for assistance, the actor’s sad situation was first brought to the limelight in November 2023 when he shared a video of himself celebrating his 62nd birthday on Instagram. In the video, which quickly went viral, Mr. Ibu was seen robbed in a hospital gown, suggesting that he was the sick one. His leg was conspicuously swollen even as he smiled at the camera with his family singing a happy birthday song to him.
While fans empathized with the veteran actor, prayed for him in the comments section, and simultaneously commiserated with him on his birthday, another video was shared on his Instagram handle the next day. In the new video, Mr. Ibu’s bank account details were boldly written as he and his family members called for financial assistance to enable them to sort out his medical bills.
The video revealed that the veteran actor had been ill for some years, though it had been on and off. His family also disclosed that he fell ill again some weeks before their distress call and that this time around, it was worse. He pleaded for financial assistance, stating that the doctors recommended an amputation of his leg but that he didn’t want his leg cut off.
Speaking in the video, Mr. Ibu himself said, “If they cut off my leg, where will I go to? I don’t want my leg to be cut off.” He stated that the money would be used to fly him abroad for proper medical care.
Several social media influencers and other celebrities immediately swung into action, using their platforms to rally support for the Nollywood big fish in a bid to save his life. Monetary donations were reportedly made in huge, low, and average sums amounting to several millions of naira, and this was able to cover some of his bills as he was reported to have eventually undergone five different surgeries.
In an update sequel to his surgeries, the actor’s family disclosed in December 2023 that he was suffering from constant clotting of blood in the affected leg (diseased blood vessels), amongst other health challenges that were not disclosed. This was in order to clear up rumors that he was suffering from diabetes. It was also noted that he was not flown abroad for treatment as planned because the doctors said he was not fit to be flown.
While everyone hoped to see the veteran actor eventually get better, the sad news of his demise hit hard on March 2, when he was reported to have suffered a cardiac arrest.
Mr. Ibu was credited with having featured in over 200 Nigerian Nollywood movies and was known for his excellent comic role in most of the movies he acted in. He made childhood days fun!
Sadly, there have been so many controversies surrounding the timeline of the actor’s illness and eventual death. The Punch had earlier reported that the veteran actor, while still alive, revealed how he survived several attempts to poison him. Currently, his son Daniel Okafor and adopted daughter Jasmine Chioma have been arrested on suspicion of hacking into his phone and taking $60,700 (£47,800) from the money that was donated for his medical bills.
According to reports, the pair have not commented since their arrest in January and are expected to appear in court on March 11 for the next hearing.
