The Nollywood film industry was struck with immense grief when it lost two of its talented stars. Saint Obi died on the 7th of May, and a week later, it was Murphy Afolabi’s turn. While the Nigerian film industry, popularly known as Nollywood, is struggling to bear the irreplaceable loss, death struck again, taking away a veteran actress.
Announcing the unfortunate incident on Wednesday in an Instagram post, popular actor and filmmaker, Joseph Okechukwu, stated that Cynthia Okereke died on Tuesday evening.
Sharing the actress’s picture, Okechukwu said he was about to pay for Cynthia’s flight ticket to come to America before her death.
He wrote: “REST IN PEACE, Nwanyi oma. I’m shattered beyond words.
“The fact that I was about to pay for your flight ticket to come and finish what we started only to hear you went to be with Lord just last night is one of the toughest things I’ve had to deal with in recent times.
“I pray I’m able to recover from the 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. Words fail me. May your gentle soul rest on till we meet again in glory. #CynthiaOkereke.”
Last year, Okereke was kidnapped in Enugu alongside fellow actor Clemson Cornel, but they were later released unhurt by their abductors days after they were declared missing.