2024 was indeed a year as it came and took with it a couple of celebrities with it. Although the year is yet to come to an end, Nigeria has sadly lost several prominent celebrities in the entertainment industry and business world at large. The first two quarter of the year saw the tragic demise of some of Nigerians brightest stars who brought light and smiles to our screen with their incredible work.
The Nigerian entertainment industry has suffered a large blow within the past months with the death of some of its most cherished treasures, and saying goodbye to them has been hard. We are now at the last quarter of the year and we will be giving a breakdown of all who were lost to the cold hand of death this year. Scroll to see the list:
The Wigwes
The sad deaths of Herbert Wigwe, the head of banking, his wife Doreen, and their first son Chizi in a helicopter crash in February 2024 left Nigerians in deep mourning. Those who had no prior knowledge of the family were left shivering with deep anguish by the death. On February 9, a helicopter crash claimed the lives of the Wigwe family.
Mr Ibu
Nigerian comic actor, John Okafor aka Mr Ibu reportedly died of a cardiac arrest on March 2, 2024 at the age of 62. The movie star had been battling a long-term illness that had many Nigerians donating funds towards his hospital bills. The movie star’s demise was surrounded by lots of controversies as claims and counter-claims started to fly between his wife, Stellamaris and his adopted daughter, Jasmine. Sadly, Jnr Pope had mourned Mr Ibu’s death on his social media page only a month before his own death.
Amaechi Muonagor
Nigerians were plunged into sadness once more on March 24, 2024, with the passing of veteran Nollywood actor Amaechi Muonagor. When the tragic news of his passing surfaced, the movie star was still begging with Nigerians for money to pay his medical bills after suffering a stroke. When he died, he was 61 years old.
Ganiyu Oyeyemi
Veteran Yoruba actor, Ganiyu Oyeyemi, popularly known as Ogunjimi passed away on April 26, 2024. His death was made known by actor, Kunle Afod in an Instagram post.
Junior Pope
On April 10, 2024, Nollywood actor John Paul Obumneme Odonwodo, often known as Junior Pope, passed away at the young age of 39. After word of the movie star’s passing spread online, many Nigerians were very disturbed. While returning from Adanma Luke’s film set, Jr. Pope and other members of the film team perished in their boat. The fact that Junior Pope was last seen on the same boat, complaining about the lack of a life jacket and mentioning that he had three kids to look after, made his death much more sinister. Only a few months had passed since the late movie star unveiled his new Asaba residence.
Adejumoke Aderounmu
Adejumoke Aderounmu, a Nollywood actress and star of Jenifa’s Diary, passed away on April 6, 2024, at the young age of 40. It was reported that Aderounmu passed away while asleep. Adeola, the deceased’s brother, claimed that Jumoke was planning to move overseas as she was having trouble finding employment.
Onyeka Onwenu
Onyeka Onwenu was a 72-year-old veteran Nigerian singer, actress, journalist, and activist. Videos of her final performance went viral online, evoking strong emotions from Nigerians. Rumor had it that the songstress passed away after collapsing at a birthday celebration, just moments after going on stage.
Abuja Area Mama
Abuja Area Mama, a popular TikTok user and crossdresser from Nigeria, passed away terribly on August 7, 2024, following his murder and body being left on the side of the road in the nation’s capital. Unknown people are said to have attacked the transvestite, and there have been discussions about whether this may have been related to his way of life.
