Saint Obi’s Sickness, Death Caused By Marital Stress- Zeb Ejiro
Popular filmmaker, Mr. Zeb Ejiro , has commented on the death of a Nollywood actor, Obinna Nwafor, popularly called Saint Obi, submitting that marital stress resulted in his illness and subsequent death.
He recalled that he met Saint Obi in 1998 while getting set for a movie to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS which was titled ‘Goodbye Tomorrow’.
The movie which was partly sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation, WHO, was one of Ejiro’s biggest movies ever.
‘We had completed casting and were getting ready to hit the location, when a tall handsome young man strolled into my office in Surulere.
RMD was supposed to play the lead character, alongside Hilda Dokubo. We had concluded plans to commence production but, two weeks to hit location, RMD’s wife, Mee, passed on.
It was obvious that RMD would not be part of the production after we had put everything in place. So, I was considering a lot of actors to replace RMD as he was bereaved.
Suddenly, a well-built handsome guy, light in complexion, just walked into my office in Surulere and told me that somebody had directed him to me. But immediately I set my eyes on him, I told him that you were the one I was looking for. And he said wow!
At that point, I didn’t know if he had acted in any film before, but I just asked him if he could fit into the role and he answered in the affirmative.
I immediately auditioned him, and he performed excellently well. That was the beginning of our story. The movie was a monster hit as Saint Obi acted alongside Dokubo. It was one of the best movies I have ever done in my life. That was my first contact with Saint Obi. After ‘Goodbye Tomorrow’, we did a lot of other movies together including ‘Candle Light’, TV series among others. Though Saint started his acting career in 1988, after starring in ‘Behind The Clouds’ a soap opera being shot in Jos’ he said.
Ejiro also said Saint Obi had a telephone conversation with him two weeks before his death, after he had tried to speak with him for almost one week.
The popular filmmaker said he was remaking his popular TV series in the 90s, ‘Ripples’, and had wanted Saint Obi to be part of the production.
‘Two weeks before his demise, my phone rang and it was Saint Obi on the other end. I asked him where he had been; that everybody had been looking for him. That was when he told me that he had been down and was admitted to a hospital. He added that he had done multiple surgeries and his condition wasn’t improving. His elder sister then made arrangements to move him to Jos, where he could be given proper treatment. That was the last time we spoke, as I promised to reach out to him again. But I never did, as the next thing I heard was that Obi is no more’ he said.
‘Obi told me a couple of times that his marriage was crumbling and it was eating him up. He was a family man, somebody that loved to stay with his kids and build a happy home.
But when his marriage crumbled, it really affected him and he never recovered from the shock till death.
When a man is not together with his family, he will be depressed. No man wants to go into that kind of situation and be happy. So, that contributed to his death’ he added.
Zik Zulu Okafor, who is also a filmmaker and a journalist, has also accused the late Obi’s in-laws of making him suffer humiliation, harassment and intimidation in their hands before his death.
‘I do not know why my wife’s siblings see me as a gold digger. They confront me, harass and fight me in my matrimony. And my wife did nothing to stop them. I work hard, I earn my money. I have never depended on my wife’ he quoted the late actor to have lamented.
Saint Obi and Linda Amobi took marriage vows in 2006 and they had three children.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned the family of the deceased actor has however said some of the stories making the rounds with regard to his death are false.
The family in a joint statement by Ugoeze Edith Chinyere Obichuku, Elder Sister (Texas, U.S.A) and Mrs. Freda Nwachukwu, , Elder Sister (Jos, Nigeria) urged the public to disregard allegations made by Mr. Zik Zulu Okafor while blaming him for ‘portraying Lynda in an unfair and most defamatory manner’.
‘Our attention has been drawn to the publication by one Mr. Zik Zulu Okafor concerning the death of our son, Mr. Obinna Nwafor, popularly known as Saint Obi, and the accompanying negative commentary on social and other media portraying his wife in an unfair and most defamatory manner. This is in no way, shape or form an accurate portrayal of the Lynda that we know and relate with.
The Nwafor family also views the said article by Mr. Okafor as sad and most unfortunate. It was neither written in consultation with any member of the family nor authored with our consent or authority. We totally disassociate ourselves from it.
The views and allegations contained therein are entirely the opinion of the writer. They are false, malicious and insensitive to the wife, children and entire family he left behind.
This is a mourning period for the family, and while we appreciate the condolences of friends, fans, and well-wishers, we ask that the family’s privacy be respected at this time.The funeral rites will be communicated to the public in due course. May the soul of our dearly beloved brother, son, father and husband, rest in perfect peace. Amen’ the statement said-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
