The Nigerian film star John Okafor, with acting credits in over 200 Nollywood films, died on March 2, 2024, after a year of serious ailment. Okafor leaves behind his acting legacy and his family members, including his more than ten children and his second wife.
Popular as Mr. Ibu, the Oga Abuja actor had his leg amputated in November 2023 to increase the chance of his survival. As reported, with his recovery after seven surgeries, he was discharged; however, he was re-admitted in February 2024 due to complications, and a month later, the news of his death mourned all.
Many might not know, but the late Nigerian actor had survived an attempt of assassination from poison twice earlier.
Scroll down to read the full article detailing Okafor’s family, children, wife, and net worth.
- Quick Facts
- What Led to John Okafor, aka Mr. Ibu’s Death? Illness And Obituary
- Mr. Ibu Had Survived Two Attempts Of Poisoning Him
- John Okafor Was Married Two Times: Trouble With Wives
- Okafor Once Said His Second Wife, Stella, Was A Blessing
- John Okafor’s Children: How Many Kids Did He Have?
- John Okafor’s Net Worth: How Did He End Up In Acting?
Quick Facts
| Name | John Ikechukwu Okafor |
| Nickname | Mr. Ibu |
| Date of Birth | October 17, 1963 |
| Place of Birth | Umunekwu, Enugu State, Nigeria |
| Date of Death | March 2, 2024 (aged 62) |
| Profession | Actor |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Career Active | 1978-2020 |
| Net Worth | $2-$4 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter |
What Led to John Okafor, aka Mr. Ibu’s Death? Illness And Obituary
John Ikechukwu Okafor died at 62 on March 2, 2024, at Evercare Hospital in Lagos. According to his manager, Don Single Nwuzor, the Nollywood actor, Mr. Ibu, died of cardiac arrest.
The news of Okafor’s demise came a day after another Nigeran comic actor, Sisi Quadri (birth name: Tolani Oyebamiji), died on March 1, 2024.
Mr. Ibu publicly disclosed his illness in October 2023 and was hospitalized for two weeks as the actor (b. October 17, 1961) celebrated his 62nd birthday at the hospital.
In a video of him bedridden, he solicited prayers and financial assistance, stating that his “strange and dangerous illness” required him to amputate one of his legs.
“Just see me, if they cut off my leg, where do I go from here? Please pray for me, talk to God Almighty, and I don’t want my legs to be cut off. Thank you so much. God bless you.”
As reported, the former Senate President Bukola Saraki’s Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation covered up his hospital bills but reported that the Okafor family required further financial assistance.
On November 6, 2023, the Nigerian actor’s family released a statement on Instagram confirming that John had his right leg amputated from his knee and underwent seven surgeries for his recovery.
There were queries if the amputation was a result of complications from diabetes. However, in a December 2023 IG post on the actor’s official Instagram, the Okafor family confirmed it was ‘constant clotting of blood in his leg and other health challenges.’
Moreover, they stated they were treating him at one of the best hospitals in Nigeria as doctors tagged him as “not fit to fly” for treatment abroad.
As reported, John Okafor, aka Mr. Ibu, was discharged on January 25, 2024, but only a month later, in February, he was re-admitted. Following a month (in March), he was pronounced dead.
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Mr. Ibu Had Survived Two Attempts Of Poisoning Him
In March 2022, during an exclusive interview with Premium Times, John stated that he was hospitalized after his relatives poisoned him during his trip to his home country in Nkanu West, Enugu State.
Opening up further about the incident, he said,
“I was poisoned, but not at an entertainment event in Abuja. I was poisoned in my home town, and then I journeyed to Abuja, where the poison affected me and grounded me.”
After treatment at Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre Abuja, he recovered and resumed his acting journey.
It was not the first time he overcame an attempt to kill him. In 2020, some of his relatives, jealous of his success, paid the actor’s domestic worker to poison him.
During an interview with NigezieXtreme in October 2020, Mr. Ibu recalled the moment when they were kidnapped and poisoned at an event in Nnewi.
As a result of poison, the now-late actor had an unusually protruding stomach.
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John Okafor Was Married Two Times: Trouble With Wives
Okafor reportedly married two times, but his marriages were not far from causing him trouble. His second wife, Stella Maris Okafor, became estranged from him before his deteriorating health condition got them together.
Not much is known about his first wife, except that she was from his hometown of Umunekwu.
In February 2023, John and his second wife (now widow), Stella, were in Nigerian headlines after the latter alleged that the actor used to abuse her and neglected their kids.
In response, the now-late Nollywood star went live on Instagram to disperse the allegation as false. He stated that the two were not living together since they were not getting on terms.
Moreover, John said he sent her 1 million Nigerian Naira for the children’s school fees. He even bought her five cars, which she sold, and didn’t remit any money.
John Okafor stated that when he was in the hospital in Nigeria in early 2023, his adopted daughter, Jasmine, came from Cyrus to care for him. On the other, his second wife, Stella, didn’t even visit him.
Later, Jasmine, who also joined the IG live session, corroborated the actor’s claim and accused her of frequently asking for money from him. As she claimed, due to Stella’s pressure, her dad sold their plot, with a potential for 4 million Naira, for only 2.5 million Naira.
In February 2022, during an interview with Punch, Mr. Ibu said that his first and second marriages failed because he didn’t have money.
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Okafor Once Said His Second Wife, Stella, Was A Blessing
According to an article published by VanGuard in March 2018, John, a.k .a. Mr. Ibu, talked highly of his second wife, Stella Maris Okafor, and referred to her as ‘the cook’ and ‘the best wife in the whole world.’
The Nigerian comic actor stated that after his first marriage failed, he stayed away from relationships for six years until he found love with Stella.
As reported, when he first saw her, she sat in a park crying after her then-boyfriend broke up with her. So, John went to ask her about her well-being and later consoled her. The two soon became friends, and it was not long after they began dating.
The couple got into a relationship in 1998 and moved in together. After more than a decade of dating, Mr. Ibu and Stella married on May 10, 2010, in Imo State. Five years later, in 2015, they had a white wedding ceremony.
However, a few years into their marriage, their relationship began to hit bumps. After many failed attempts, the two lived separately.
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John Okafor’s Children: How Many Kids Did He Have?
Online sources report that Okafor was a father to more than ten children, while some cite that from his two marriages, he had 14 children (including a stepson/daughter).
In his interview, John stated that he welcomed four children with his ex-wife and five children with his second wife.
The actor lost his first son with Stella, who was kidnapped, told the Entertainment Express Magazine:
“My ex wife and her cohorts planned and kidnapped my wife and child; they were later released after 10 days… That child later died a year after through poisoning. The fact later came out, but I don’t want to act on it now; I don’t want to massacre anybody…”
Okafor often mentioned that most of his kids were grown-ups. Some publicly disclosed names of his children are Emmanuel Mandela, Daniel, Chelsea, Jay Jay, and Jasmine Okafor (adopted).
After his death, his daughter, Jasmine, took her dad’s TikTok account with 1.3 million followers and changed it into her name.
| Marital Status | Two times (now deceased) |
| Children | 14 |
| Wife’s Name | Stella Marries Chinyere Okafor (second wife) |
| Daughter’s name | Jasmine Okafor (adopted daughter) |
Mr Ibu’s Children Arrested For Stealing
In January 2024, the Nigerian actor’s son, Daniel, and adopted daughter, Jasmine, were arrested on the charge of theft of money that was meant for Mr. Ibu’s treatment.
After a public plea about his degrading health status and financial help in the 2023 fall, generous fans made donations into his bank account. As reported, his two kids, Jasmine and Daniel, hacked into the actor’s phone and stole 55 million Naira ($60,700; £47,800).
The Lagos court released them on a bail of $56,000 bail.
John Okafor’s Net Worth: How Did He End Up In Acting?
Born in Umunekwu, Nigeria, Okafor was born into a not-so-financial-stable family. He went from rags to a millionaire with his hard work and acting wits. At his death in 2024, Okafor had a net worth between $2 million and $4 million.
Throughout his career journey of four decades, he worked in more than 200 Nollywood films. Notably, his role as Mr. Ibu in the 2004 comedy video became so iconic that he got the same nickname.
When Okafor was 13, his father died in 1974. So, he went to live with his brother in Sapele, where he did menial jobs to cover his school fees and support his family.
By the time John graduated from secondary school, he already had jobs as a hairstylist, butcher, and photographer and worked in a crate-producing company.
He then enrolled at the College of Education, Yola College, but financial challenges made him drop out. At the beginning of the 1980s, Okafor stepped into acting and never looked back.
With a stable income, he pursued higher education at the Institute of Management and Technology Enugu while continuing his acting journey. Some of his on-screen works include Police Recruit (2003), 9 Wives (2005), Ibu in Prison (2006), and Keziah (2007).
| Net Worth | $2-$4 million |
| Primary Income Source | Acting |
| Supplementary Income Source | Commercials, Comedy Shows |
| Assets | House, Cars |
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