Over the weekend, Nollywood and the film industry worldwide lost one of its very finest actors, John Okafor, best known by the stage name Mr Ibu. He was aged 62.
The cause of his passing on has been revealed that he breathed his last after a cardiac arrest.
The news of Mr. Ibu’s passing was disclosed by the National President, of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Emeka Rollas on his Instagram page on Saturday night.
“Sad Day for Actors Guild of Nigeria. Kate Henshaw lost her mother earlier today and Mr Ibu suffered cardiac arrest according to his manager of 24 years, Mr Don Single Nwuzor. I announce with a deep sense of grief that Mr Ibu didn’t make it. May his soul rest in peace”, Rollas posted
The late Mr Ibu acted in more than 200 Nollywood movies and also ventured into music for a short period.
In October 2023, John Okafor a.k.a Mr. Ibu revealed he was suffering from an ailment that threatened to amputate one of his legs. He said he was struck by the problem while on a movie set with other Nollywood actors and actresses.
He then went on to ask his fans and well-wishers for prayers and financial assistance to cover the heavy medical bills he was choking on.
He requested assistance as he shared a video clip while lying on a hospital bed as he expressed fear of losing his limb.
Fortunately, the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation footed Mr. Ibu’s entire medical expenses on October 18, 2023.
In November 2023, Okafor underwent a leg amputation after suffering from an illness that required seven surgeries. His family said the amputation was done to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery.
Okafor acted in more than 200 Nollywood movies. He also ventured into music, just for a short period. On October 15, 2020, he released his songs titled This Girl and Do You Know.
Before his acting career, Okafor was a boxer, football coach, and karate practitioner. He was married twice in his lifetime. He has more than 10 children.
His second wife, Stella Maris Okafor had three children with him, one of whom is deceased.
His son Daniel and adopted daughter Jasmine were accused of hacking Okafor’s phone and stealing $60,700 from him. They were arrested in January 2024. Following Okafor’s death, Jasmine renamed his million-follower TikTok account to her name and deleted all of the videos that did not feature her.
