A female director who shared a two-decade friendship with the late Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo has broken her silence following his death. In an emotional Instagram post that quickly went viral, she shared intimate details about the actor's life and character.
Friendship Spanning Over 20 Years
Sharon Ojong, the director, recounted how she met Alexx Ekubo while both were students at the University of Calabar. They were young dreamers chasing acting careers and ambitious ideas. While she eventually left the profession, Ekubo remained determined to pursue his passion in front of the camera, working tirelessly until his talent gained recognition.
A Man of Genuine Goodness
Ojong described Ekubo as someone who embodied genuine goodness and loyalty. She noted that his character remained consistent long before fame arrived. He held deep religious faith alongside a love for family, food, privacy, and life itself. Even with public visibility, he retained humility and humanity.
She disclosed that Ekubo endured significant personal pain in the years before his passing but rarely spoke about it. Despite his own struggles, he made time to pray for others, offer encouragement, and show kindness. She added that she never needed to put her feelings into writing because he already knew how much she valued him.
Faith and Friendship
The director recalled that Ekubo often traveled from Lagos Island to attend services at COZA, where they would spend hours discussing faith, life, ambitions, and purpose. She emphasized that the public saw him as an actor and celebrity, but she knew him as a friend, a romantic, a family man, a dreamer, and a father. He encouraged others to believe in themselves.
Heartfelt Tribute
Concluding her post, Ojong expressed gratitude for his kindness, resilience, and laughter, saying she would miss his presence greatly. She extended condolences to his parents, siblings, wife, cousins, and close friends, ending with a hope that he could rest peacefully with those he shared private jokes with.
In her words: "There are some people you meet in life and you immediately understand that goodness is still real. Alexx Ikenna Ekubo-Okwareke was that person. A friend for over 20 years that stayed loyal. Not perfect. Not performative. Just genuinely good. The kind of man that made you say, 'this one was raised right.' He carried respect naturally, laughter everywhere, and stood for truth even when it was uncomfortable."
"Before the fame, before the spotlight, Alexx loved God deeply. He loved people, family, food, privacy and life itself. And somehow, even with all the noise that comes with visibility, he never lost that softness, that humanity. What breaks my heart the most is knowing he carried so much pain over the past few years and barely spoke about it. Even in his own pain, he still found room to pray for me, encourage me, and show kindness to others."
"We met in UNICAL as young dreamers chasing acting and impossible ideas. I eventually stepped away, but Alexx knew he belonged in front of the camera. He kept pushing until the world finally saw what we already knew. And even after success, some things never changed. He would leave the Island to join us at COZA, and after church we would sit for hours talking about God, life, dreams and purpose. People see the actor, the celebrity, the public figure. But I knew the human being. The friend. The heart behind the smile. The romantic guy. The family guy. The dreamer. The daddy. Alexx will talk you into believing in yourself."
"Alexx, thank you for your kindness, your resilience, your laughter and the memories. You lived fully. Loudly. Beautifully. My heart is broken, and my tongue is sealed. My prayers go out to your parents, your younger siblings, your wife, your cousins, your best friends - IK, CY, Yomi, UTI. Your close friends and extended loved ones. I'll miss you terribly, daddy. You and Otu Njama can now crack all those silly private jokes. Rest well, Alexx Ikenna Ekubo-Okwareke. Chief IKUKU. My friend. My family. Shalexx Forever."
Reactions from Nigerians
Nigerians flooded the comments section to react to the post. Future_minister wrote: "You're the first person that came to my mind when I saw the news. Sharon my deepest heartfelt condolences. May his soul rest in peace." Prettydivamakeover commented: "Great Malabite & Malabress. Am sorry for your Loss. May the LORD comfort you and the Family of Late Alex." Msjesam said: "I have so much vivid memories admiring you and Alex from way back 2006 in Unical! May the Angels guide him home and comfort all his loved ones." Aakeye reacted: "Sis. My heart has been beating since yesterday, the tears hasn't stopped flowing! I only followed him as a fan but admired him so much! May his soul Rest In Peace." Ladymarybruno commented: "Knowing him from a distance in movies, award shows, skits and so on. It's not hard to tell he was a genuine people person. He was truly a light. I don't think I have felt this hurt about a celebrity passing before. Rest Easy King. My heartfelt condolences Sharon." Official_poshfashion said: "It is well my friend. Every line just brought back memories."
