Cynthia Okereke, a veteran Nollywood actress, has sadly passed away, exactly one year after enduring a traumatic kidnapping experience. The heartbreaking announcement was made by her fellow colleague in the entertainment industry, Joseph Okechukwu.
Joseph, a filmmaker, expressed his deep sorrow, revealing that he had intended to pay for Cynthia Okereke’s flight ticket to America to continue their joint project. However, fate intervened, and she tragically passed away on Tuesday night.
“May you rest in peace, dear Nwanyi oma. I am utterly devastated and at a loss for words. The fact that I was on the verge of finalizing your travel arrangements to complete what we had begun, only to learn that you departed this world last night, is one of the most difficult things I have ever had to grapple with recently. I pray that I will be able to recover from this profound shock. Life truly is fleeting. One moment you have it, the next it slips away.
Throughout the more than 20 years I have known you, you have been an incredible, honorable, and lovely soul to be around. I never could have imagined that you would depart so abruptly and unceremoniously. Words fail me.
Rest in eternal peace, Cynthia. May your gentle soul find tranquility until we reunite in glory,” he wrote.
It is worth recalling that Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel were kidnapped on their way back from a movie shoot in Ozalla town, Enugu state, on Friday, July 29, 2022. Actor Monalisa Chinda, who also serves as the Actors Guild of Nigeria’s Director of Communications, broke the news. She disclosed that the actors had been reported missing when their families confirmed that they hadn’t returned from the shoot.
Thankfully, they were later released after spending several days in the clutches of the criminals.
Nollywood actors have come forward to express their grief over the loss of the late actress, who was renowned for her nurturing roles in epic Nigerian movies.