On our list this week, we will be looking at 10 Nigerian entertainers who suffered because of ill health.
By Odion Okonofua, PULSE NG
One of the saddest thing we often see in entertainment is how celebrities get to suffer because of ill health.
For fans, It’s often heart-wrenching to see their favorites celebrities look a shadow of themselves because of some medical conditions.
While some of these entertainers have been able to bounce back from these setbacks, others are still in bad shape while the unlucky ones have died as a result of these ailments.
On our list this week, we will be looking at 10 of these celebrities.
1. Ify Onwuemene
For those who grew up watching the popular TV drama series ‘Everyday People‘ in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Onwuemene needs no introduction.
She was the wife of late Nollywood great, Sam Loco in the drama series.
There had been previous reports that the movie star had been down with cancer which had abruptly stopped her acting career.
In June 2020, it was revealed that she needed financial support to treat endometrial cancer.
2. Ernest Asuzu
Ernest Asuzu was one of the bad boys of Nollywood in the early 2000s and enjoyed much success during that time.
However, Asuzu’s time in the movie industry ended abruptly after he went missing in action for some years.
It was later revealed that he was down with a stroke. At some point it was reported that he had passed away, a story he later came out to debunk.
The humiliating part about Azusu’s grace to grass story was when a video of him begging for financial assistance showed up on the internet in 2020.
3. Majek Fashek
Majek Fashek was one of the biggest music exports from this part of the world in the late 1980s and the early 1990s.
He is best known for the 1988 album Prisoner of Conscience, which included the multiple award-winning single, ‘Send Down the Rain’.
The music star had sold-out concerts across Africa and even toured the world.
Strangely, his stardom dipped after rumours began to fly around that he had been hit by a strange illness. There were however speculations of the music star being involved in heavy drug use.
After years of trying to resurrect his career, Majek’s health began to fail again in 2019.
His management team solicited for funds from well-meaning Nigerians and they got lucky when billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola came to his rescue.
Sadly, Fashek passed away in June 2020.
4. Ifeanyi Ezeokeke
If you are very conversant with the child stars that were made in the mid and late 1990s in Nollywood, then Ezeokeke’s name would ring a bell.
He rose to prominence after his role in the 1999 movie ‘Conspiracy‘ where he got the alias ‘Ugo Shave Me.’
Well for some unknown reasons, Ifeanyi was no longer a regular face in the movie industry. It took a Facebook photo shared by colleague Diewait Ipechukwu in 2020 for everyone to discover that the child star had been down with a strange illness for a while.
5. Victor Olaotan
Victor Olaotan is known to be a skilled actor. He became a household name when played ‘Sir Ade Williams‘ in the popular TV drama series ‘Tinsel.’ The movie star remained a private person until 2016 when he was involved in a ghastly car crash.
Olaotan’s health began to deteriorate and his friends in the industry were worried. After years of treatments, it became apparent that he could no longer foot his hospital bills.
In 2019, movie star, Richard Mofe-Damijo announced that Otedola was going to take care of his hospital bills.
While everyone thought Olaotan had been saved by the bell, a video of his colleagues soliciting for funds again on his behalf hit the Internet in 2020.
The photo of the movie star shared on social media indicates that he is indeed in dire need of help to get the best health care.
6. Julius Agwu
Julius Agwu can be described as one of the pioneers in the stand-up comedy business in Nigeria. His style of comedy made him stand out and he was one of the most sought-after comedians in the country.
Things took a sudden turn in 2015 when the comedian revealed that he was going for brain surgery in the United States of America.
There were reports of a relapse after the surgery which the comedian’s team debunked.
The surgery led to memory loss and paralysis at the time but Agwu thankfully, recovered fully.
5. Lord of Ajasa
Lord Of Ajasa can be described as one of the early acts of indigenous rap in Nigeria and was one of the biggest rappers in the game in the 2000s.
A few years down the line, Ajasa’s career stalled. Not much was known about him until January 2019 when photos of him in the hospital emerged.
It didn’t take long before some of his colleagues and friends came to his rescue.
8. Sadiq Daba
Sadiq Daba can be described as one of the brightest broadcasters to have come out of Nigeria. After years in the media, he joined the movie industry where he made a huge impact. In 2015, he won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as “Inspector Waziri” in October 1.
Well in 2017, Daba was diagnosed with Leukemia and Prostate Cancer. In July 2019, Femi Otedola announced his decision to take responsibility for Daba’s medical fees.
While many where hoping and praying for the veteran actor to heal, the news broke that his health situation had deteriorated. According to a tweet that went viral in early 2020, the actor was on the verge of losing one of his eyes.
9. Vast (Bracket)
The group Bracket made the airwaves between 2009 and 2010 with hit songs after hit songs. But in 2013, a member of the singing duo (Bracket), Vast was diagnosed with cancer after the group’s tour to Australia.
He had to be taken to London for treatment. The ailment kept him away from the music scene for over a year.
Since his return to the country, the singer and his music partner have struggled to bounce back musically.
10. Ngozi Nwosu
Ngozi Nwosu first rose to fame in the 1990s when she played “Madam V boot” in the television series, Ripples.
In 2013, popular actress, Nwosu was flown out of the country to the UK to receive treatment over a kidney-related disease.
It was reported that the Lagos state government assisted the famous ‘Fuji House Of Commotion’ actress with the better part of the money used for her operation.
The operation was successful as the chubby actress has since returned to mainstream acting.
