The Nigerian entertainment industry is presently in a state of deep mourning as the news filtered into the airwaves that John Ikechukwu Okafor popularly known as Mr. Ibu, a Nigerian actor and comedian who on record appeared in over 200 Nollywood films including those from the Mr. Ibu series which include hilarious films like Mr. Ibu (2004), Mr. Ibu 2 (2005), Mr. Ibu and His Son, Coffin Producers, Husband Suppliers, International Players, Mr. Ibu in London (2005), Police Recruit (2003), 9 Wives (2005), Ibu in Prison (2006) and Keziah (2007) has permanently bowed out from the stage.
Okafor was known as “Nigeria’s Borat” and in 2012 described homosexuality in Nollywood as akin to a virus, saying “If there is any way in this world that people can make them stop it or kill it, please do it.”[8]
Okafor also ventured into music for a short period of time. On 15 October 2020, he released his songs titled “This girl” and “Do you know”.
According to Wikipedia John Ikechukwu Okafor was born on 17 October 1961. He was from Umunekwu in Nigeria’s former Eastern Region (now in Nkanu West L.G.A., Enugu State).[1] After elementary school and the death of his father in 1974, Okafor moved to Sapele to stay with his brother. In Sapele, he did menial jobs so he could send himself to school and support his family.[2] He then worked as a hairstylist, ventured into photography and also worked in a company that produced crates. After secondary school, he was admitted into the College of Education, Yola, but pulled out due to financial difficulties. He later enrolled in the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu.[3]
Before his acting career commenced, Okafor had tried his hand at boxing, as a football coach, and karate practitioner.[3] He was married twice in his lifetime. He has more than ten children. His second wife, Stella Maris Okafor had three children with him, one of whom is deceased.
In October 2023, Okafor revealed that he was suffering from an ailment that threatened to make it necessary to amputate one of his legs. He said he was struck by the problem while on a movie set with other Nollywood actors. He appealed to his fans and the public for prayers and financial assistance to cover his medical bills. He also shared a video of himself lying in a hospital bed, expressing his fear of losing his leg.
The Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation, which was established by the former senate president of Nigeria, paid off Okafor’s entire medical expenses in 2023. The foundation also stated that Okafor still required a lot of financial assistance to sustain him in the hospital and for his travel abroad for further treatment.
In November 2023, Okafor underwent a leg amputation after suffering from an illness that required seven surgeries. His family said the amputation was done to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery. Unfortunately all these efforts was not of avail as Mr Ibu died at Evercare Hospital in Lagos on 2 March 2024, at the age of 62, as a result of cardiac arrest obviously triggered by the prolonged sickness.
Sadly for a man who brought so much glee and laughter to so many all over the world, his period of sickness was rife with untidy family feuds over finances and unsavoury relationships. Instead of walking shy of the media, the family seemed to glow in the media attention the ailing actor’s situation brought their way. His son Daniel and adopted daughter Jasmine were accused of hacking Okafor’s phone and stealing $60,700 from him. They were arrested in January 2024.[26] Following Okafor’s death, Jasmine renamed his million-follower TikTok account to her own name and deleted all of the videos that did not feature her.[27]
