Nollywood actor Chijioke Nwokafor, popularly known as Cjay Nwoks, has died, leaving colleagues and fans of the Nigerian film industry in utmost grief.
The actor reportedly passed away on September 30, 2026. The news was announced by actress and filmmaker Nkechi Blessing, who had recently cast him as the lead actor in her latest movie.
Nwoks' death has reportedly dealt a significant blow to the production team, as he played the central role in the upcoming film.
In a tearful video shared online, Nkechi Blessing announced that the movie, which was scheduled to be officially released at 5:00 PM on the same day, would no longer be released as planned.
“It took me a lot to do this video because we won’t be dropping the movie again at 5 PM. Right now, I’m in a hospital. I just lost Cjay and I don’t even know how to start. Cjay is dead,” she said.
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The filmmaker struggled to contain her emotions as she spoke about the sudden loss of the actor, whose death came on the day audiences were expected to watch the new project.
The unexpected development has left colleagues and members of the production team grieving the loss of an actor who had been at the centre of the project.
Other Nollywood colleagues have also taken to social media to mourn Nwoks, with actress and filmmaker Ruth Kadiri among those who shared tributes following the news of his death.
His passing has sparked an outpouring of grief across the industry, with colleagues remembering him as the sudden loss comes just as audiences were preparing to see him in one of his latest projects.
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