Mr. Ibu
1.Late John Ikechukwu Okafor fondly called Mr. Ibu was born on 17 October 1961.
2. He hailed from Nkanu West L.G.A., Enugu State.
3. After elementary school, in 1974, Okafor moved to Sapele to stay with his brother, after his father’s demise.
In Sapele, he did menial jobs so he could sponsor himself to school and support his family. He then worked as a hairstylist, ventured into photography and also worked in a company that produces crates.
After secondary school, he was admitted into the College of Education, Yola, but pulled out due to financial issues.
He later enrolled in the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu as soon as he was financially able to.
4. The late comic actor had acted in more than 200 Nollywood movies including Mr. Ibu (2004), Mr. Ibu 2 (2005), Mr. Ibu and His Son, Coffin Producers, Husband Suppliers, International Players, Mr.Ibu in London (2005), Police Recruit (2003), 9 Wives (2005), Ibu in Prison (2006) and Keziah (2007).
5. Mr Ibu also ventured into music. He did music for a short period of time.
On October 15, 2020 he released his songs titled ‘This girl’ and ‘Do you know’.
6. In October 2023, John Okafor revealed that he was suffering from an ailment that threatened to amputate one of his legs. He said he was struck by the problem while on a movie set with other Nollywood actors and actresses.
He appealed to his fans and the public for prayers and financial assistance to cover his medical bills. He also shared a video of himself lying in a hospital bed, expressing his fear of losing his leg.
7. In November 2023, Okafor underwent a leg amputation after suffering from an illness that required seven surgeries. His family said the amputation was done to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery. However, his health conditions worsened and he died on March 2, 2024.
8. He was survived by his wife, Stella Maris and three children; Emmanuel Mandela, Chelsea and Jay Jay Okafor.
