The Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has expressed sadness over the death of renowned Nollywood actor, John Okafor, professionally known as Mr Ibu.
The Minister made this known in a statement through her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Nneka Anibeze.
In the statement, she described the occurrence as “one death, too many”.
Musawa said this was coming just 24 hours after the death of yet another Nollywood actor, Sisi Quadri.
She said: “I’m deeply shocked at too many deaths occurring at the same time. Mr Ibu was a household name who made families happy throughout his acting career.
“His death at this time is very unfortunate and a sad one for us all in the entertainment industry.
“We will sorely miss him. May his soul rest in peace.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 62-year-old John Okafor was confirmed dead by Emeka Rollas, National President, Actors Guild of Nigeria, on Saturday.
Okafor was said to have suffered a cardiac arrest.
Further information had it that Mr Ibu died in a Lagos State hospital on Saturday from cardiac arrest.
Okafor was said to have been grappling with severe blood clotting in his leg, a condition that had plagued him for years.
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Despite undergoing a second amputation surgery in an attempt to alleviate his suffering, the actor’s health continued to deteriorate.
His blood pressure was reported to have soared dangerously, exceeding 200.
However, efforts to stabilise it in the hospital failed.