Nollywood actor Cjay dies

The Nigerian entertainment industry has been thrown into mourning following the death of Nollywood actor Chijioke “Cjay” Nwokafor.

His colleague, actress Nkechi Blessing, broke the news on Instagram on Wednesday, where she shared videos of herself with the late actor.

Blessing did not reveal what caused Cjay’s death but said she cancelled the release of her movie, “Egusi Ogbono,” to honour him. The late actor featured in the film.

The actress initially scheduled the movie for release at 5 p.m. on Wednesday but withdrew it after a hospital confirmed Cjay’s death.

Blessing said she spoke with Cjay early Wednesday morning before she received the news of his death.

“Cjay Nwoke Oma, so this is really the end? Omo we had plans. I spoke to you at 8 a.m. today and a few hours later you are no more with us.

“Omo please return if possible because I refuse to type otherwise and this is too much for me to handle,” Blessing wrote.

As of press time, Cjay’s family and colleagues had yet to disclose further details about his death or announce his funeral arrangements.

Cjay

Cjay began his career in 2021 and went on to feature in several films before his death.

The Anambra-born actor appeared in movies such as “Larry Cold,” “Mum Overnight,“ and “A Day to My Wedding.”

Speaking with Trybe TV on 21 September, Cjay recalled how his first experience on a film set influenced his decision to pursue acting professionally. 

He said he worked on the set with filmmaker Ruth Kadiri and became inspired after watching the way the actors carried themselves.

The actor also spoke about how people perceived his personality. According to him, many people considered him arrogant, but the impression did not reflect who he really was.

Following his death, two Instagram posts Cjay shared on 23 and 12 September have drawn renewed attention from his fans and colleagues.

In one post, he wrote, “No pressure, lifestyle cost na you no know.”

He wrote in another, “Life’s too short to be unhappy, live every minute like it’s your last. Live, love, laugh.”