Nollywood actors, Victor Osuagwu and Charles Awurum, have mourned the death of their colleague, John Okafor, popularly called Mr Ibu.
In a video posted on Instagram by Osuagwu on Monday, both actors disclosed that they were shooting a movie in Ghana when they heard of his demise and that they had not been able to join others on the location.
Osuagwu said, “The Nollywood industry was thrown into sadness. It was a rude shock, a very big shock to lose one of us, a brother, a colleague, and one of the giants in the comedy world. The entertainment world has lost somebody.
“There are people that will always beat their chest that Ibu, in the course of his enterprise, healed them. He brought laughter, happiness, and healing to so many homes.”
Awurum on his part said, “It was not a good day at all. The news was a very bad one. Immediately we heard it, we were weak, we could not shoot any longer because we were in a location in Ghana.
“And today, we had to excuse ourselves from the location because there is no way our brother will go like that and we’ll be on set shooting. It was not easy for us.
“I came into the industry before Ibu but as time went on, I started looking up to him. He had so much to offer. We really lost somebody.
“It is not easy. Ibu was a great man. A brother. He was somebody you would want to be with anytime and anywhere. He was somebody you would learn so much from.
“I wish everyone will contribute in prayers for him and his family.”
The PUNCH reports that Mr Ibu was confirmed dead on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at a hospital in Lagos. He was said to have suffered a cardiac arrest.
His death came barely 24 hours after another actor, Quadri Oyebamiji, aka Sisi Quadri, passed away in Osun State.