Fans have been left in shock after a video of ex-Nollywood star, Ernest Asuzu, begging on Lagos streets surfaced online.
Asuzu, who often starred alongside Jim Iyke, in Nollywood hits in his heyday, is currently down with stroke.
He went public with the illness five years ago.
The ailment is clearly exacting a heavy toll on the ailing star as he is also unable to walk.
A man who identified himself as John Louis on Instagram shared a video of the actor shirtless and begging for alms on the streets of Lagos.
The actor was barely recognisable in the video.
Mr Louis said he found the actor begging for alms on the streets of Oke-Afa in Isolo, Lagos.
The actor could also be seen in the video nodding in affirmation.
Asuzu also looked dazed and disoriented in the video. “So we are calling on Nollywood to come and assist their member. It is not only to act the film, but this guy also cannot even walk,” Mr Louis said in the video.
“They need to come to his aid not when he dies they will come and do a big burial for somebody. Even the Nigerian government needs to back the guy and know what the problem is.
“I’m directing this video to Nollywood. This is a star that everybody knows that he is in this kind of condition. We saw him at Justrite Supermarket asking men for money when he has Nollywood people doing anything they like but they don’t know how to help themselves’’ (sic)
AGN reacts
PREMIUM TIMES contacted the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, on Tuesday and he expressed shock at the development.
“I haven’t been really briefed about Ernest’s situation but I was shocked to see the video of the man hurling insults at Nollywood without really knowing how involved we have been in his case.
“People just act in ignorance. We have been on his case for many years now. We took him to a man of God who healed him of his ailment. He was there for months and when he was leaving he blessed him with a Prado Jeep. I am really surprised at the turn of events. I will contact his wife and get back to you”.
Background
Also known as ‘El Cream, Asuzu was also a rapper, producer and movie director. His career nosedived a few years ago after he came down with a stroke in 2015. He was bedridden for three years.
In 2015, he announced that Jeremiah Funfeyin of Mercyland Deliverance Ministry healed him of stroke.
The cleric reportedly gave him a new SUV valued at about N3.5 million and N1.5 million as startup capital to help revive his career.
READ ALSO:Nollywood movies on Netflix ‘painful to see’ – Canada-based Nigerian actor
He once revealed in an infamous interview in 2018 that he was sexually active while nursing his ailment because he feared that his wife might desert him.
Asuzu began his an acting career in the ’90s and rose to prominence after he stared in ‘Another Campus Queen’.
He starred in over 100 movies like ‘Royal War’, ‘Ogidan’, ‘Burning Desire’, ‘Never End’, ‘Broad DayLight’, ‘Last Wedding’, ‘Ugonna’ and ‘Labista’.
The latter earned him the Best Supporting Actor at the African Movie Academy Awards in.
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