It has been reported that the talented and respected Nollywood actor Saint Obi, whose real name is Obinna Nwafor, passed away on May 7 after a long illness.
His death, shrouded in mystery, is now being mourned by other Nollywood actors. Stephanie Linus and Richard Mofe Damijo and a filmmaker, Tchidi Chikere, on their social media handles.
While there has been no confirmation or denial from his family, Saint Obi’s legacy as one of Nollywood’s greatest and pioneering actors will be sorely missed by many.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Nigerian Screen Actors Guild has yet to make a statement as the family reportedly has a minor disagreement that has stalled a formal announcement.
However, his fans have continued to pay their last respects to the veteran actor with the hashtags #RIP Saint Obi and #Obinna Nwafor on Twitter.
Stephanie, who starred with Saint Obi in several films in the early 2000s including ‘More than a Woman’, described his death as shocking and heartbreaking in her tribute.
Talented and respected Nollywood actor Saint Obi, whose real name is Obinna Nwafor, passed away on May 7.
“Losing someone you know and have worked with can be incredibly difficult. I have worked with Saint on several films and it is very sad to hear of his passing. May God give his family strength to cope with this loss and get through the difficult times. Your work and impact will always be remembered. Rest in peace, Saint.
Similarly, Tchidi, in his tribute, expressed regret that he had not fulfilled his lifelong wish to feature the late actor in his films. The filmmaker also revealed that Saint Obi turned down his offer to star him in three lead roles in three movies.
“I offered you a role in a movie in February and you turned it down. You said that you had gained weight and wanted to get back in shape before taking action. You told me a lot of things and how you love your children and how you wish you could see them. You didn’t sound like your old self. I felt that you had lost your zest for life. So I called you a few days later and offered you three lead roles in three movies, which you turned down. You refused to act. I was shocked. You said, “Tee, I’m coming to the US and we’re going to do great things; I want to relaunch myself with something big “Those were your words… And now… today… suddenly… what? ”He said in part his homage.
RMD, in his tribute, revealed how his kind gesture put Saint Obi in the spotlight, recounting how he sought help to break into Nollywood in the ’90s.
“I remember being at an event in Abuja a few years ago, and we were just catching up, and he was like, ‘Brothers, don’t you even remember saying you’re not starting me on this my journey?’ And I was like, ‘No way.’ way’, and. He had said that he wasn’t doing any movies at the time, but that he could send it to a friend and brother who did more productions than anyone at the time, and that brother and friend was Zeb EJIRO. I wrote on the back of my card , and he went off and became a huge star. The exciting thing then was that Zeb loved him so much that he told me he had given him a natural replacement for me in the movies.”
RMD confirmed that his colleague and friend Zik Zulu broke the news of Saint Obi’s death and they both denied it and vowed to find out more details.
Talented and respected Nollywood actor Saint Obi, whose real name is Obinna Nwafor, passed away on May 7 after a long illness.
Saint Obi was famous for his roles in State of Emergency; candlelight; sakobi; goodbye tomorrow; Heart of gold; Fire Festival; Executive Crime; and Last Party, among others.
In 2015, he delved into music and released a song, ‘Imagine the Dream’, and an accompanying video.
He worked in the post office before majoring in Theater Arts at the University of Jos and ventured into acting in 1996 through a Peugeot TV commercial.
He acted in more than 60 films. In 2001, he produced his first film, Take Me to Maama, where he played Jerry alongside Ebi Sam, the late Rachel Oniga, Nse Abel and the late Enebeli Elebuwa.
The last time she made news headlines was in February 2022 when news of her divorce and custody battle leaked online.
The famous actor and his ex-wife fought for custody of their three children after filing for divorce.
ALSO READ: Fans mourn Nollywood actor Saint Obi
According to a lawsuit filed by the actor’s lawyers in lawsuit No: HCT/128/2019, the actor alleged an attempt on his life by his ex-wife.
In the same suit, the ‘Glamour Girls’ star was joined by his ex-wife’s brothers, Michael Amobi and Chukwumobi Amobi.
Nollywood actor Saint Obi, whose real name is Obinna Nwafor, passed away on May 7 after a long illness.
The actor also alleged that his ex-wife allegedly “imprisoned” their three children with the help of police men.
The couple married in 2006 and have three children, two boys and a girl.
