Veteran Nollywood actor, Zack Orji, has shared a harrowing experience that resulted in his close encounter with death.

The actor recounted some incidents that resulted in undergoing two major brain surgeries.

In an interview on Channels TV on Sunday, April 21, 2024, Orji said all his woes began after he slumped in the bathroom one fateful day.

“I slumped in the bathroom, and I can only say that it’s by the grace of God that I’m alive today because I passed out. I was out for like five and a half hours before help came,” Orji shared.

According to Zack Orji, his friend Bala Ahmed, who was in the UK at the time was alerted by some persons from his (Orji's) house, prompting a swift response from his colleagues as well.

“Benedict Johnson rushed to the house, and I was there on the floor, incoherent. I couldn’t even stand because when he raised me, I slumped again, and he had to call another colleague whom we call Labista. So the two of them lifted me on their shoulders from the second floor to the ground floor and took me to the National Hospital,” Orji recounted.

Also, the actor's wife who was in Lagos at the time, flew to Abuja upon receiving the news, and on January 1st, the first surgery was performed by Dr. Biodun Ogungbo, a neurosurgeon.

Narrating further, he said a month later, scans revealed a residual blood clot and he had to undergo a second surgery.

After his recovery in Nigeria, Orji was advised to seek post-surgery assessment in the UK, where he consulted with Dr. John Yeh.

“I’m grateful to God Almighty and I’m also grateful to so many people who stepped in,” Orji stated.

Orji, however, acknowledged the huge support he has since received from his friends, colleagues, and some prominent figures, including the President of Nigeria, the President’s wife, the Vice President’s wife, the President’s son, and various ministers.

He said, “But in all of it, I’m grateful to God Almighty and I’m also grateful to so many people who stepped in. The President of Nigeria, the First Lady, the wife to the Vice President, the President’s son, the Minister for Women’s Affairs, the Minister for Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, the Minister for Works, and a whole lot of people.

“I was receiving calls from South Africa, from the UK, from the US, from some of them were willing to, they were asking me, how can we help? How can we be of assistance? So it was overwhelming the way people responded to the whole thing,” Orji expressed.