- New and astonishing insights have surfaced concerning the demise and subsequent events following the abduction of Cynthia Okereke and actor Clemson Cornel Nonyelu, widely recognized as ‘Agbogidi,’ by unidentified gunmen during their Enugu filming activities last year.
- The accomplished actress passed away just last month (on Tuesday, July 11), almost twelve months after that traumatic incident.
- However, what’s currently causing even more distress is the fact that Cynthia’s family is facing hurdles in raising funds for her burial arrangements.
In a somber disclosure, Mr. Okechukwu Okereke, the husband of the late Nollywood actress Cynthia Okere, has openly shared that his family is currently grappling with financial difficulties to arrange the funeral ceremony for his departed wife.
Mr. Okechukwu Okereke expressed his dismay over the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria’s failure to support his family.
He shared with Vanguard during a phone conversation that he is the sole person organizing his wife’s burial arrangements, with help from his son. He emphasized the urgent need for financial aid to provide a fitting farewell for his late wife.
Detailing that his wife’s passing was a result of the shock from her abduction experience the previous year, Mr. Okereke disclosed that she had been in and out of the hospital since her abduction and eventual release before her unfortunate demise last month.
Agbogidi also averred that during their captivity, the late actress implored the kidnappers to supply her with medication for her high blood pressure, which they reluctantly agreed to.
He said, “After the kidnapping issue, the trauma came in. She developed a leg problem because they tied her legs.
“When she was released from the kidnappers’ den, she had severe pain and we rushed her to the orthopaedic hospital, where it was discovered that the pain relief drugs she took had affected her tummy.
“From there, we rushed her again to a private hospital, where she underwent the first surgery and waited for the second one to be carried out on her before her doctors discovered that it had affected her heart.
“At that point, we moved her to a specialist hospital in Owerri, where she was placed on life support. And on Tuesday, July 11, she gave up the ghost, after she spent about four months at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital,UNTH, Enugu.”
Mr. Okereke, however, has issued an appeal to his late wife’s friends, colleagues, and fans, urging them to come together and support his family’s efforts to ensure a dignified funeral ceremony for the departed actress.
Regarding the ransom paid to his wife’s kidnappers, Mr. Okereke explained that they had borrowed the sum of N3.5 million, which they were still repaying to secure the release of both his wife and actor Agbogidi.
He stated that the funds raised by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) for this purpose were not handed over to the affected families up to the present time. A source from Agbogidi’s family also confirmed Mr. Okereke’s claim.
“I can confirm to you that no dime has been given to my family by AGN till date. My family brought 50% of the kidnap ransom while Cynthia’s family brought the remaining 50%.
“Till date, we haven’t received anything from the leadership of the guild,” a source from Agbogidi’s family insisted.
In response to the accusation, a source from the Enugu State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) refuted the claim, asserting that the money had indeed been given to the two families.
“You can believe whatever he tells you but the truth is that the money was handed over to him, in our office. He’s a big liar if he denies that he didn’t collect the money,” said an AGN source.