Diewait Ikpechukwu, the ace Nigerian actor, has passed away at the age of 71 following a protracted illness.
The Nollywood star died on Thursday, family sources said.
Abubakar Yakubu, national president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), also confirmed his death to TheCable Lifestyle on Saturday.
While the exact circumstances of his passing remain undisclosed, reports indicate he had been unwell for some time.
Ikpechukwu attended Comprehensive High School in Awo-Omamma, Imo state, and later Kaduna State Polytechnic, where he obtained a higher national diploma (HND) in marketing.
Before turning to acting, Ikpechukwu was a right winger who played football and was invited to the Green Eagles camp in the 1970s. He also featured for Blue Diamonds of Nsukka and Kaduna Rocks.
He served as a team manager, including at Vasco da Gama in Enugu. He eventually moved into radio broadcasting, working as a sports commentator alongside his other pursuits.
In a 2021 interview with The Next Edition, Ikpechukwu recalled turning down the national team invitation because his father wanted him to focus on his education.
His career in Nollywood spanned over 25 years, with appearances in films such as ‘Royal Palace’ (2005), ‘The Guilty’ (2006), ‘Across the River’ (2006), ‘Python King’ (2007), and ‘Ìjé Love’ (2022).
Ikpechukwu’s passing represents yet another loss for Nollywood, especially among the generation of performers who helped define the Nigerian film industry.