Wednesday, 12 July 2023 was another sad day for the Nigerian film industry as the day broke with the news of the death of veteran actress Cynthia Okereke.
Okereke’s death was announced by her colleague in the industry, J. C. Okechukwu, via his official social media account.
“REST IN PEACE, Nwanyi Oma. I’m shattered beyond words,” Okechukwu wrote on Twitter.
“The fact that I was about to pay for your flight ticket to come finish what we started only to hear you went to be with Lord just last night is one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to deal with in recent times. I pray I’m able to recover from this shock. Life is really just a mist. One minute you have it, the next you don’t.
“For the more than 20 years that I’ve known you, you’ve been such an amazing, decent and lovely soul to be around. I never imagined you’d exit so unceremoniously, words fail me,” he tweeted.
Okereke, a regular face in many Nollywood movies where she always played the role of a mother, had been a solid part of the industry for more than a decade. She featured in movies like “Osuofia in London 1”, “Osuofia in London 2”, “A Fool at 40”, “Reggae Boys”, among numerous others.
Last year, she was kidnapped alongside another actor, Clemson Cornel, while shooting a movie in Enugu. Both of them were released unhurt days later.
She died at the age of 63.
