‘Ifeanyi Ezeokeke of ‘Ugo Shave Me’ fame bedridden for nearly 19 years’

A video of Nollywood actor Ifeanyi Ezeokeke, popularly known as “Ugo Shave Me,” has surfaced online, appealing for aid amidst alignment.

Mr Ezeokeke, who was famous as a child actor during the late 90s and early 2000s, has suffered an undisclosed illness that has kept him bedridden and away from the screen for years.

A viral video shared on Wednesday by social media influencer Emmanuel Okwuluora showed the actor seated with the aid of his mother and Mr Okwuluora, appearing frail.

19 years of alignment

Mr Okwuluora, while appealing for assistance, claimed that the actor has been battling illness for about 19 years.

He also alleged that Mr Ezeokeke lost his father as a result of his illness and that his mother, who is said to have suffered injuries in a road accident and now lives with a metal implant in her leg, has struggled to care for him alone.

Mr Okwuluora said that the actor has been struggling with his health for the past 19 years, though the particular health condition was not mentioned, he noted that the actor had not been to the hospital since his health crisis.

“This guy has been down for the last 19 years. Nollywood is known for people dying at their prime. Ifeanyi has not really gone to the hospital due to poverty, because of his condition, his father died, and his mother had an accident. Ifeanyi wants to be fine. Their environment is not conducive, but this guy has been lying down here for the past 19 years”, he said in the video while appealing to Nollywood actors and well-meaning Nigerians to support Mr Ezeokeke.

Before health struggles

Before his health cut short his acting career, Mr Ezeokeke was one of the most recognisable child actors of Nollywood’s golden era.

He became a household name after starring in the 1999 classic film Conspiracy, a movie that remains one of the most remembered productions of the video-film era.

The actor earned the nickname “Ugo Shave Me” from a popular line. More than two decades later, many Nigerians still identify him by the nickname rather than his real name. Mr Ezeokeke featured in the 1999 Nollywood classic ‘Conspiracy’ alongside veteran singer and actress Onyeka Onwenu, actor Nkem Owoh, Charles Okafor, Larry Koldsweat, and Chris Erakpotobor. Chimdi Chiama and Ndubuisi Okoh directed it.

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Apart from ‘Conspiracy’ and its sequel, Mr Ezeokeke featured in several Nollywood productions during his years as a child actor, including ‘Tears & Sorrows’ (2002) and ‘Egg of Life’ (2003).

Long-running health battle

Concerns about Ezeokeke’s health are not new.

In 2020, fellow actors Diewait Ipechukwu and Ejike Okoye publicly appealed for help after visiting the actor and sharing photographs that showed him in a visibly weakened condition.

Subsequent videos and photographs circulating online have continued to show the actor in poor health, although the exact nature of his ailment has never been publicly disclosed.