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President Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and others mourn the death of veteran comic actor John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu.
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Tributes pour in from the entertainment industry, politicians, and colleagues, hailing Mr Ibu’s contributions to spreading joy and happiness.
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The late actor, who had one of his legs amputated in 2022 due to health issues, passed away at the age of 62 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Eko Hot Blog reports that President Bola Tinubu, presidential candidates Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa, and colleagues from the entertainment industry have expressed deep sadness over the passing of veteran comic actor John Okafor, famously known as Mr Ibu.
In a statement, President Tinubu condoled with the families of “these gifted thespians who brought joy and relief to millions of Nigerians by the exercise of their geniuses.”
Atiku Abubakar described Mr Ibu’s demise as “a big loss to our creative and sports industries,” stating, “These two great Nigerians lived to give us happy moments in entertainment and the beautiful game. They will be sorely missed.”
Peter Obi hailed Mr Ibu as “a legendary comic actor, who embodied laughter, exuded joy and spread happiness.” He added, “His death is a huge loss, not just to the entertainment industry, but to the nation.”
Minister Hannatu Musawa commiserated with the deceased’s family, saying, “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.”
Colleagues from the Nollywood industry also paid tribute to the late actor, with filmmaker Acho Ugenyi describing him as “a quintessential creative,” while actress Destiny Etiko called him “a legend.”
Actor Charles Inojie wrote a short dirge, saying, “The peace of mind to recuperate peacefully…Was a favour too expensive to oblige you…Now, it’s all yours, bro.”
Mr Ibu, 62, died at Evercare Hospital in Lekki, Lagos, after suffering a cardiac arrest. The National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Chief Emeka Rollas, confirmed the sad news, stating that the comic actor had been battling cardiac arrest for 24 years.
Last year, Mr Ibu had one of his legs amputated due to deteriorating health conditions and had sought financial assistance.
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