“We’re Struggling To Raise Money For Her Funeral” – Late Actress Cynthia Okereke’s Husband Drags AGN

Okechukwu Okereke, the husband of the late Nollywood actress Cynthia Okereke, has expressed his disappointment with the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria (AGN) for their lack of support during his family’s trying times.

KanyiDaily recalls that Cynthia Okereke’s death was announced on July 11, 2023, a year after she had suffered through a harrowing abduction experience.

In 2022, Cynthia Okereke and her colleague, Clemson Cornel Nonyelu, known as ‘Agbogidi’, were kidnapped in Enugu State. The abductors demanded a ransom of $100,000 for their release.

According to Vanguard, the distressing reality now is that Cynthia’s family is grappling with the financial challenge of conducting her burial a year after her traumatic ordeal.

Her husband, Mr Okechukwu Okereke, revealed in a telephone chat that he is shouldering the responsibility of arranging her funeral with some assistance from his son.

Although no specific date has been set, Okereke mentioned that his late wife’s interment is anticipated to occur in the second week of October in their hometown.

He earnestly sought financial aid to give his wife a befitting burial rites.

Mr Okereke confirmed that Cynthia’s demise was attributed to the shock she endured as a result of her kidnapping experience the previous year.

He revealed that after her release, Cynthia faced a myriad of health issues, frequently being admitted to hospitals, before her untimely demise  last month.

Agbogidi, who was kidnapped with Cynthia, confirmed that during their captivity, the actress was begging the gunmen to bring her HBP drugs for her to manage high blood pressure, which they reluctantly provided.

Mr. Okereke recounted, “After the kidnapping issue, the trauma came in. She developed 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, appealed to Cynthia’s friends, colleagues, and fans for support to ensure a befitting funeral for the late actress.

Regarding the ransom paid for Cynthia’s release, Mr. Okereke disclosed that they had borrowed N3.5 million and were still repaying the loan to secure her and Agbogidi’s freedom.

He claimed that the funds raised by AGN for this purpose had not reached the affected families. A source from Agbogidi’s family corroborated these claims.

“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.

Refuting these accusations, a source from the AGN Enugu State chapter stated that the money had indeed been transferred to Mr. Okereke and challenged his denial.

The source maintained that the AGN had fulfilled its commitment to the families involved.

“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.

KanyiDaily recalls that actor Charles Inojie expressed his sorrow over the death of Cynthia Okereke, emphasized that their friendship would forever hold a special place in his heart.