By Florencemary Nwabueze

Alex Ekubo, one of the most recognizable Nollywood actor has reportedly passed away in a hospital in lagos after private battle with cancer illness.

This was confirmed by a Nigerian talent manager and filmmaker Sam Olatunji in an emotional statement on Tuesday, 12th May, though specific details about the type of cancer has not yet been disclosed.

Alex Ekubo-Okwaraeke was born on April 10, 1986, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. He attended Federal Government College Daura, Katsina state. He studied Law at the University of Calabar, Cross River state. He was also awarded an Honorary Degree in Arts & Culture from the Institut Supérieur de Communication et de Gestion (ISCG University) Cotonou, Republic of Benin, 2021.

Ekubo rose to fame in the early 2010s. He began acting around 2005 with a small role in Sinners in the House, but his breakthrough came through films like Ladies Men and Weekend Getaway. He is best known for his roles in Nollywood romantic comedies and dramas and is considered one of the most bankable and versatile talents in contemporary African cinema.

He was the first runner-up at the 2010 Mr Nigeria contest and rose to prominence after wining the Best Supporting Actor in the Nollywood blockbuster, Weekend Getaway(2013) and a Screen Nation Award for Favorite Male Emerging Screen Talent (2014). In 2020, he was named one of the "Most Influential People of African Descent under 40 by the United Nations, for his contributions to entertainment and social development across the continent.

His visibility skyrocketed across Africa after featuring in Yemi Alade’s hit music video Johnny. On television, he starred in popular shows such as Tinsel, AY’s Crib, and Secrets & Scandals. Ekubo was also publicly engaged to American model Fancy Acholonu in 2021, but the wedding was later called off.

In recent months, he had stepped back from public appearances — a move friends now believe was due to his declining health.

Fans and fellow actors has flooded social media with tributes, many expressing shock that Ekubo had kept his diagnosis private.

Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by his family in the coming days.