Nollywood has been thrown into mourning following the death of actor Chijioke Temidayo Nwokafor, popularly known as Cjay Nwokafor or Cjay Nwoks, with colleagues including actresses Nkechi Blessing Sunday and Ruth Kadiri expressing shock over his death.
Cjay died on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at a hospital in the Badore area of Lagos State. His colleague Nkechi Blessing announced the development on Instagram after visiting the hospital where the actor was confirmed dead. The cause of his death has not been publicly disclosed.
The announcement was particularly shocking to Nkechi because she said she had spoken with Cjay at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, only to learn a few hours later that he had died.
Sharing memories of herself and the late actor, Nkechi wrote:
“Cjay Nwoke Oma, so this is really the end? Omo we had plans. I spoke to you at 8 a.m. today and a few hours later you are no more with us.”
The actress asked him to “return if possible,” saying she was struggling to accept that her colleague was gone.
Earlier, Nkechi had posted an emotional video from the hospital announcing Cjay's death.
Visibly distressed, she told followers that her movie Egusi Ogbono, which had been scheduled for release at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, would no longer be released as planned.
“Cjay, this was never the plan,” she wrote while announcing her decision.
The late actor featured prominently in Egusi Ogbono, with reports describing him as the lead actor in the production.
Nkechi said she was at the hospital in Badore when she made the announcement.
“It took me a lot to do this because we won’t be dropping the movie again at 5 PM. Right now, I am in a hospital in Badore. I just lost Cjay,” she said.
“Cjay is dead. I don’t even know how to start.”
The cancellation meant a project that was expected to be released that evening was immediately put on hold following confirmation of the actor's death.
Other members of Nollywood also reacted as news of Cjay's death spread.
Actress Ruth Kadiri, with whom Cjay had previously worked, expressed her grief in a social media post.
Kadiri said she had not expected her day to end at a hospital and concluded her message with a farewell to the actor.
Actor Charles Born also expressed shock at the development, saying he had been planning to visit Cjay at the clinic.
“Wait what? I was supposed to go see him at the clinic. Is this a joke?” he wrote following news of the actor's death.
Actor Emeka Nwagbaraocha said he had communicated with Cjay only days before his death and described him as a “sweet soul.”
His reaction reflected the disbelief expressed by several colleagues and followers after Nkechi announced the death.
Other Nollywood personalities and fans also posted condolence messages on social media as tributes spread following the announcement.
Cjay, whose full name was Chijioke Temidayo Nwokafor, was from Awka in Anambra State but was based in Lagos, where he pursued his acting career.
He began his professional Nollywood career in 2021 and subsequently appeared in several productions.
His acting credits included productions such as Larry Cold, Mum Overnight, A Day To My Wedding, The Lies She Tell and What Time Left.
His role in Nkechi Blessing's Egusi Ogbono was among his latest projects before his death.
Only days before his death, Cjay had also spoken publicly about his acting journey.
In an interview published on September 21, he recalled how his first experience on a movie set, where he worked alongside Ruth Kadiri, helped inspire his decision to pursue acting professionally.
He described being attracted to the professionalism and composure he observed among actors on set.
The timeline surrounding the announcement of his death shows how suddenly the development unfolded publicly.
On the morning of September 30, Nkechi said she communicated with Cjay at about 8:00 a.m.
Later that day, he was confirmed dead at a hospital in Badore.
Nkechi subsequently announced his death publicly and cancelled the planned 5:00 p.m. release of Egusi Ogbono.
She later shared videos and photographs showing moments she had spent with the actor while expressing disbelief that their earlier plans would no longer be fulfilled.
Cjay's final social-media posts also attracted renewed attention after news of his death emerged.
One of the messages he had previously posted spoke about the shortness of life and encouraged people to live, love and laugh. Followers subsequently returned to his social-media pages to leave condolence messages.
However, despite the reactions surrounding his death, no cause of death has been officially disclosed.
Nkechi did not state what medical condition or circumstances resulted in Cjay's death when she announced it.
His family had also not issued a public statement explaining the cause as of the latest reports available on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Reports that he was confirmed dead at a hospital therefore do not establish what caused his death.
No medical diagnosis or other official explanation should be attached to his death unless subsequently released by his family or another authorised source.
Funeral arrangements had similarly not been publicly announced at the time of reporting.
For Nkechi Blessing, the loss was also closely connected to the movie project on which she and Cjay had recently worked.
Instead of releasing Egusi Ogbono at the previously announced 5:00 p.m. time on Wednesday, she withdrew the release following confirmation of his death.
Her subsequent tribute centred on how recently she had communicated with him and the plans they still had together.
“Spoke to you 8am today and few hours later you are no more with us,” she wrote.
The death of Chijioke “Cjay” Nwokafor on September 30, 2026, in Lagos has consequently drawn tributes from colleagues who had worked with him during a Nollywood career that began in 2021.
As of October 1, the established information remained that Cjay was confirmed dead at a Badore hospital, colleagues had begun mourning him publicly, Nkechi Blessing had suspended the release of a film featuring him, and his family had yet to publicly disclose the cause of his death or funeral arrangements.
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