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2021: Baba Suwe, Sound Sultan, other celebrity deaths that shook entertainment industry

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Rachael Oniga, Sound Sultan and Baba Suwe

The year 2021 is coming to an end; unfortunately, some stars in the entertainment industry have fallen. Here are some deaths that shook the entertainment industry in 2021

Baba Suwe

Born Babatunde Omidina on August 22, 1958, the legendary thespian was an actor and comedian.

Omidina began acting in 1971 but came into the limelight after he featured in a movie titled, Omolasan, which was produced by Obalende. He became more popular after he featured in Iru Esin, produced by Olaiya Igwe in 1997.

The comic actor has been suffering a partial stroke since his ordeal with the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency 10 years ago. He died on November 22, 2021.

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Rachael Oniga

Actress, Rachel Oniga, was born on May 23, 1957. Although from Delta State, the legendary actress was born and raised in Lagos.

She began her acting career in 1993, shortly after her divorce. Oniga also worked briefly at Ascoline Nigeria Limited — a Dutch Consultant Company —before her first movie titled Onome. Her debut Yoruba movie was Owo Blow.

Over the years, Oniga has featured in notable Nigerian films such as Sango — a movie scripted by Wale Ogunyemi and produced and directed by Obafemi Lasode — and Wale Adenuga’s television series, Super story. Oniga died on July 30, 2021, from a heart-related ailment.

Sound Sultan

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Multi-talented Nigerian entertainer, Olanrewaju Fasasi, fondly referred to as Sound Sultan, was born on November 27, 1976. He was a rapper, actor, model, curator, comedian, songwriter, among other things.

Sound Sultan’s career in show business started in the 1990s when he hosted shows to raise money for studio sessions. By 1999, he had won numerous local talent-hunt shows. He released his first single “Jagbajantis” in 2000, which was a hit in Nigeria.

After the entertainer independently released other singles and featured in hit songs of other artists, he was later signed by Kennis Music.

He died on July 11, 2021, after he was diagnosed with Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

Sir Victor Uwaifo

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Sir Victor Efosa Uwaifo was not only an entertainer par excellence, but he was also a national award recipient.

Uwaifo was a Member of the Order of the Niger. Born on March 1, 1941, he was a musician, writer, sculptor, and musical instrument inventor. Moreso, he was a university lecturer, music legend, and the first Honourable Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism in Nigeria.

Uwaifo was the winner of the first gold disc in Africa (Joromi) released in 1965 and seven other gold discs in Guitar boy, Arabade, Ekassa series and Akwete music. He recorded under the name “Victor Uwaifo and His Titibitis”. Uwaifo’s hobbies included swimming, bodybuilding, gaming, reading and writing. He died on 28 August 2021 at the age of 80.

From the letf: Frabz, Uwaifo and Asuzu
Dokta Frabz

Nigerian music producer, Ayorinde Faboro, popularly known as Dr Frabz, hailed from Ekiti State. His interest in music started at age six when he learnt how to play the piano. Professionally, he started his career in 2006.

The ace music producer floated his music production company, N’sayne Entertainment. He worked with some of Nigeria’s A-list artistes and some of his notable works include the production of Wizkid’s Ayo album; Seyi Shay’s Seyi or Shay album; Davido’s Omo Baba Olowo album, to mention a few.

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He died on February 26, 2021. However, details of his death has been sketchy as the iconic music producer died in the United States of America.

Ernest Asuzu

Popular Nollywood actor, Ernest Asuzu, died at 37. According to his wife, Jennifer, the thespian slumped and never woke up on January 26, 2021.

The actor came down with a stroke in 2015, which affected his speech. He was also bedridden for three years. This affected his acting career and he was off the screen for many years.

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Entertainment

Mbah Appoints Nollywood Actress Destiny Etiko as Senior Special Assistant

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Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has appointed popular Nollywood actress, Destiny Etiko, as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Youth Engagement and Creative Economy.
Etiko announced her appointment in a post on her Instagram page on Monday, November 9, 2026, expressing gratitude to the governor for the opportunity to serve in his administration.
The actress described the appointment as an honour and pledged her loyalty, dedication and commitment to the governor’s vision and the development of Enugu State.
“With profound gratitude and humility, I am honoured to announce my appointment as Senior Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of Enugu State on Youth Engagement and Creative Economy,” she stated.
Etiko expressed appreciation to Mbah for the confidence reposed in her, promising to discharge her responsibilities with dedication and a determination to make meaningful contributions to the state.
“My heartfelt appreciation goes to His Excellency, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for this confidence and opportunity to serve.
“I pledge my unwavering loyalty, dedication and commitment to your administration’s vision and the good people of Enugu State,” she said.
The actress further pledged to embrace the responsibility with humility and work towards creating more opportunities for young people while advancing the state’s creative economy.
“I embrace this responsibility with pride, humility and a determination to make a meaningful impact,” she added.
Etiko concluded her message by calling for collective efforts to translate the talents of young people into opportunities and the state government’s vision into reality.
“Thank you, Your Excellency. Thank you, Enugu State. Together, let us turn talent into opportunity and vision into reality!” she said.

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Odumodublvck Accuses Complainant Of Presenting Fake Hospital Report In Assault Case

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Nigerian rapper Tochukwu Gbubemi Ojogwu, popularly known as Odumodublvck, has accused the man who filed an assault case against him of presenting a falsified hospital report before the court.
The rapper made the allegation during an interview with NewsCentral TV on Friday, where he recounted his version of the incident and explained why he rejected his lawyers’ advice to settle the dispute out of court.
The suit was filed in November 2025 by Levi Ogbogiri, also known as Kraziecent, who accused the rapper of assaulting him at a public event on December 16, 2024.
Ogbogiri alleged that the incident occurred while he was taking photographs and videos and resulted in physical injuries, emotional distress and damage to his iPhone 15 Pro Max.

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Veteran Nollywood Actor Diewait Ikpechukwu Dies at 71

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Veteran Nollywood actor Diewait Ikpechukwu has died at the age of 71.

The actor reportedly passed away on Thursday, November 5, 2026, following a prolonged illness, according to family sources.

Ikpechukwu was a respected figure in the Nigerian film industry, with an acting career spanning more than 25 years.

Before venturing into Nollywood, he played professional football before later working as a business office manager in Nike.

He subsequently established himself in the movie industry, featuring in several Nollywood productions, including The August Meeting, Royal Palace (2005), The Guilty (2006), Across the River (2006), Python King (2007) and Ìjé Love (2022), among others.

Beyond acting, Ikpechukwu reportedly owned a communications company and was passionate about mentoring young talents in the entertainment industry.

He regularly encouraged upcoming actors to remain dedicated to their craft, avoid desperation and guard against exploitation in the movie industry.

Details surrounding his death remained sketchy as of the time of filing this report.

His death marks another loss to the Nigerian movie industry, where he spent more than two decades contributing to the growth of Nollywood.

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Soludo’s Wife Denies Son Campaigned for Peter Obi, Threatens Legal Action Over Viral Video

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The wife of Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Dr Nonye Soludo, has denied claims that her son, Ozonna Soludo, produced a viral video campaigning for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi.
The disputed video, which has circulated widely on social media, shows Ozonna, a social media personality, dancing to a song promoting Obi, with the former Anambra governor’s photograph and the NDC logo inserted into the clip.
However, Mrs Soludo, through her media aide, Daniel Ezeigwe, described the video as doctored, insisting that it did not originate from her son.
In a statement, she alleged that the video was deliberately circulated to create the false impression that Ozonna was involved in Obi’s political campaign.
“The video being mischievously circulated and falsely attributed to Ozonna Soludo, son of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, did not originate from him. Any attempt to associate him with the video is false, malicious, and entirely unacceptable,” the statement read.
The statement also identified one Kelechi Simon, reportedly a medical radiographer based in Delta State, as a person allegedly connected to the creation and circulation of the video.
Mrs Soludo warned those responsible for circulating the video to desist, threatening legal action against anyone found engaging in misinformation, defamation or other unlawful conduct.
“Those peddling this misinformation are hereby warned to desist immediately. The laws against misinformation and libel remain in force, and anyone who engages in unlawful conduct should be prepared to face the full consequences.
“The internet is not a lawless territory, and political desperation is no defence against the law,” the statement added.
She also urged members of the public to verify information before sharing content on social media, warning that deliberate attempts to spread falsehoods could attract legal consequences.
The statement, however, acknowledged the right of individuals to support political candidates of their choice, express political opinions and participate in legitimate political discussions.
It cautioned against using fabricated content to misrepresent individuals or advance political interests.
“Everyone is free to campaign for their preferred candidate, express political opinions, and engage in legitimate political debate. However, such freedom must not be abused through fabricated stories, malicious propaganda, or deliberate falsehoods,” the statement said.

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Nollywood Thrown Into Mourning as Veteran Actor Francis Duru Dies at 57

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The Nigerian entertainment industry has been thrown into mourning following the death of veteran Nollywood actor, Francis Duru, who passed away at the age of 57 after a brief illness.

His family confirmed the sad development in a statement published on the actor’s official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, October 23, 2026.

Announcing his passing, the family expressed appreciation to fans, colleagues and well-wishers for their prayers and support during the difficult period.

“We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness.

“We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen,” the statement read.

The late actor is survived by his wife, Adokiye, and children.

His death comes barely four months after he publicly dismissed widespread reports suggesting that he was battling a life-threatening illness.

In June, Duru had taken to Instagram to debunk the claims, describing a video circulating online about his health as false and criticising those responsible for spreading the information.

Born on July 27, 1969, in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State, Duru received his primary and secondary education in Cameroon before relocating to Nigeria, where he studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, graduating in 1996.

He began his acting career in 1989 with his debut appearance in Missing Mark, directed by the late Ndubuisi Oko.

However, his breakthrough came in 1995 when he played Ahanna in the iconic Nollywood movie Rattlesnake, produced by the late renowned filmmaker, Amaka Igwe.

The performance established him as one of the industry’s prominent actors and paved the way for a successful career spanning more than three decades.

Among his notable movie appearances were Blood Money (1997), Stigma (2013) and Mboputa (2020).

His contribution to the Nigerian film industry earned him several recognitions, including the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) award at the 2020 Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in Mboputa.

He was also honoured with the United Nations Ambassador of Peace award in 2007 in recognition of his positive influence on young people.

Beyond acting, Duru served as interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria in 2010 and received a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards that same year.

His passing marks the end of a distinguished career that helped shape the growth and development of Nigeria’s film industry.

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