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The Nigerian entertainment industry has been in mourning since news broke of the death of actor Alexx Ekubo on Tuesday.
Colleagues and fans have flooded social media platforms like Instagram and X with tributes for the man many simply called “Ikuku” — a term of endearment that, in the last 24 hours, has become a rallying cry for grief.
Ekubo, born Alexx Ekubo-Okwaraeke on April 10, 1986, in Port Harcourt, died on Monday, May 11, 2026, after a battle with kidney cancer. He was 40.
Actress and filmmaker Omoni Oboli, who described Alexx Ekubo as her closest friend, did not hold back. “I’m so upset! Who will help me fight death? This is too much! How are we supposed to move on? How do we say goodbye? I’m devastated. My bestie! Why? We had a plan! Where do I start from?” she wrote on Instagram.
Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Group, recalled how Alexx Ekubo used to call her “Mum” — and the message she never followed up on. “We hadn’t spoken in a while. I remember you travelled last year and replied when you got back. I sent another message after that, and when you didn’t respond, I didn’t follow up. I never imagined there wouldn’t be another chance.”
She added: “I checked on him, and he kept saying he was fine. It’s so sad. Are you telling me I will never see Ikuku again? My spirit is broken.”
Funke Akindele, in an Instagram story, wrote what many in the industry felt: “I tried to reach out to see you one more time, but I guess you knew best. Ore mi — like you fondly called me — I will always remember and cherish the good times we shared together.”
Actor Kunle Remi, who said he had spoken about Ekubo just the day before news of his passing broke, wrote: “Ikuku The Breeze. This really hurts, bro. A good man. God is taking care of you. Bask in His peace.”
Ruth Kadiri admitted she had been dreading this day. “I made sure to check up on him regularly. I feared for this day, yet it finally came. Rest well, Alexxx.”
Colleague Godwin Nnadiekwe, who confirmed the death earlier, revealed the detail that broke many people: Ekubo had already prepared his will. “To think you already prepared your Will — it’s heartbroken, I can’t quite describe. Nollywood has lost a rare soul.”
Kate Henshaw, recalling the support Ekubo showed her during her mother’s passing, expressed pain at not being able to repay the kindness.
Yvonne Jegede said she checked on him repeatedly, only for him to keep insisting he was fine. “I feared for this day,” she wrote.
Veteran filmmaker Lancelot Imasuen, who gave Ekubo his very first movie role after meeting him as a neighbour in Surulere — where the young actor would show up at film locations every Saturday while still a student — called the loss “devastating and unbelievable.”
Bolanle Ninalowo, posting from the United States, kept it brief and raw: “Rest on, Alex. May God heal your family and us all.”
Ini Dima-Okojie, Bucci Franklin, Dayo Amusa, Johnny Drille, Rita Dominic and Bimbo Ademoye were among many others who paid tribute across platforms throughout the day.
Ekubo had been largely absent from social media since December 30, 2024, a silence that had troubled fans for months. A viral video that surfaced before his death, showing him visibly thinner and subdued while interacting with a group of children, intensified the concern. He leaves behind a decade-long body of work, a generation of fans, and an industry that, by all accounts, loved him quietly and worries it did not say so loudly enough.
His family is yet to issue an official statement.