Stella Maris, the wife of the late Nollywood actor John Okafor, also known as Mr. Ibu, has opened up about the struggles with the health of the actor before he died, News About Nigeria reports.
While speaking to newsmen at a joint night of tribute in honour of her late husband alongside two other legendary actors, Amaechi Muonagor and Zulu Adigwe, she said that money could not save his life.
Recall that the comic actor passed away on March 2, after battling with a protracted illness while Amaechi Muonagor died two weeks later, on March 24, after suffering from kidney disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Similarly, Zulu Adigwe died on the 23rd of April.
The joint night of tribute was organised by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and held in four cities across the country, i.e., Abuja, Lagos, Asaba, and Enugu.
Speaking at the event, Stella Maris expressed her sadness that the actor died after all their efforts to save his life.
She recalled how their effort to fly the late actor abroad for further treatment was aborted as the four hospitals they approached abroad rejected him.
“I don’t know what to say! Where do I start from? It’s so painful seeing my husband cry like a baby with me, saying “Oh first class is this me? I was watching my husband crying and gnashing his teeth. I was in the hospital with him.
“There was a time we wanted to fly him abroad for further treatment. We sent letters to two Indian hospitals, America and Germany, but they all rejected him.
“They said he might not make it. So, we tried our best to save him from dying. I tried as a wife. And if it were to be something that money could save him, my husband wouldn’t have died.
“It’s so sad that he was not here with us. Last Sunday was Father’s Day and my children were feeling alone because their father was not there with them. We used to celebrate Father’s Day together,” she recounted.
The remains of Mr Ibu will be buried on June 28, 2024, in his hometown of Amuri, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
