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In the fast-paced world of Nigerian entertainment, celebrities often find themselves at the center of rumors and false reports. From social media clickbait to misleading news articles, the phenomenon of fake death reports has become an unfortunate recurring theme.
These misleading claims often only stir up unnecessary panic among fans and fellow celebrities, as well as confusion for those concerned.
Here are several instances where Nigerian celebrities have been falsely pronounced dead.
1. Olu Jacobs
Just yesterday, June 30, 2024, Nollywood veteran Olu Jacobs was pronounced dead on social media, thus throwing his fans into a state of grief. However, his wife, Joke Silva, and his family later debunked the reports and posted a video to prove that he was indeed alive and well. Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw also took to social media to debunk the reports.
However, this is not the first time he was rumoured to have passed away. Similarly in 2020, the reports ran rampant in the media but were squashed by the Actors Guild of Nigeria.
2. Zack Orji
Nollywood veteran Zack Orji also recently fell victim to false social media claims that he had passed away. The actor, who slumped in his toilet at home back in December 2023, was rushed to the hospital and was soon after admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for further treatment.
In March 2024, Orji was reported dead, and the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, came out to debunk the claims.
3. Ngozi Ezeonu
In January 2024, Nollywood actress Ngozi Ezenu posted a picture of a half-burnt candle on her Instagram page and subsequently fell victim to fake death reports. Following the circulation of the false reports, she took to Instagram to debunk them, clarifying that she had lost someone dear to her.
She explained, “I lost a very close friend of mine. I posted a candle, a half-burnt candle, and they now put my picture on that candle, and everybody is saying that I died. It is wrong. I am alive and healthy, please. In journalism, what you do when in doubt is you leave out. If you cannot get across to the person to at least confirm the story, you don’t post."
4. Tony Umez
In September 2023, Nollywood actor Tony Umez was also rumoured to have passed away, thus breaking the hearts of his fans. However, the thespian took to his Instagram to address the issue, calling out the people spreading the malicious rumours for clickbait. He also assured his fans and loved ones that he was hale, healthy, and hearty. He then vowed to take legal action against those spreading the false narratives.
5. Oladips
Though controversial, Nigerian rapper Oladipupo Oladimeji, aka Oladips, was also reported dead when he was not. However, he was pronounced dead by his management in December 2023, via his social media handles.
When it was perceived that he did not die, it became a scandalous topic of discussion, and he was accused of faking his death to promote his album, which was coming out at the time. Oladips later clarified that he did not fake his death, adding that he was really sick and was unconscious for the three days that he was proclaimed dead.
6. Chiwetalu Agu
On February 24, 2020, veteran actor Chiwetalu Agu vehemently debunked the death rumours circulating about him at the time. He took to his Instagram page and wrote, “If you see such nonsense posts on Facebook, please report the owner of the account.”
7. Hanks Anuku
In 2020, Nollywood actor Hanks Anuku debunked the fast-spreading rumours that claimed that he died, stating they were being peddled by “poisonous press vipers.”
8. Angela Okorie
Actress Angela Okorie has also had her fair share of death rumours. In 2014, the actress was mistaken for another actress and declared dead on social media. Okorie then took to Instagram to assure her fans that she was alive and well.
She wrote, “I am not dead; I’m balling hard. As a matter of fact, 150 years have been added to my age. I bear the mark of Jesus Christ. RIP to all the people who used my photo on their blogs, newspapers, and social media status, saying I, Angela Okorie, am dead. I’m still the unstoppable moving train. My God is alive.”
9. Richard Mofe Damijo
In 2016, popular actor Richard Mofe Damijo, aka RMD, was involved in a ghastly car accident in Delta State. Due to the severity of the car crash at the time, it was rumoured that he had passed away.
In a statement, he debunked the reports and wrote, "Contrary to the rumors yesterday that I was in a coma, unconscious and even dead, I am alive, and well, God kept us, my driver and I, alive by his hands."
10. Skiibii
Nigerian artiste Adesope Olajide, aka Skiibii, also faced fake death reports after blacking out and slumping in 2015. After it was found out that he was not dead, it became a scandal at the time, and he was accused of faking his death to make it in the music industry.
After returning to Nigeria, he continued to chase his passion, worked his way back up from the bottom, and got his big break again in 2019.