By Balarabe Oshiafi
John Okafor, a Nigerian actor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, is dead, as ExpressDay can authoritatively reveal.
Mr Ibu died on the 2nd of March 2024 at the age of 62.
He went to the great beyond yesterday night after suffering from a protracted illness associated with diabetes.
A semblance of an official statement by the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Rollas to the effect that Mr Ibu has capitulated to the sundry health challenges he has been facing and which even culminated in the amputation of one of his legs, was much confirmatory of his demise.
It read: “Sad Day for Actors Guild of Nigeria.
Kate Henshaw lost her mother earlier today and Mr Ibu suffered cardiac arrest according to his manager for 24 years, Mr Don Single Nwuzor.
I announce with deep sense of grief that Mr Ibu didnt make it.
May his soul rest in peace.”
Further investigations by this newspaper reveal that his contemporaries and even younger colleagues didn’t mince words in saying that his demise is a huge loss to the emerging movie industry in Nigeria otherwise called Nollywood.
“He was personable, hugely efficient and a
successful actor. He was a forerunner as a humour merchant”, an actress who simply want to be identified as Nkechi told this medium.
ExpressDay went on to string together the below details about Mr Ibu’s metamorphosis.
John Ikechukwu Okafor popularly known as Mr Ibu was born on 17 October 1961. He was from Nkanu West L.G.A., Enugu State.
After elementary school, in 1974, Okafor moved to Sapele to stay with his brother, after his father died. In Sapele, he did menial jobs so he could send himself to school and support his family.
He then worked as a hairstylist, ventured into photography and also worked in a company that produced crates. After secondary school, he was admitted into the College of Education, Yola, but pulled out due to financial difficulties.
He later enrolled in the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu as soon as he was financially able to.
Ibu acted in more than 200 Nollywood movies including Mr. Ibu (2004), Mr. Ibu 2 (2005), Mr. Ibu and His Son, Coffin Producers, Husband Suppliers, International Players, Mr.Ibu in London (2005), Police Recruit (2003), 9 Wives (2005), Ibu in Prison (2006) and Keziah (2007)
Okafor also ventured into music for a short period of time. On 15 October 2020 he released his songs titled “This girl” and “Do you know”.
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