Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwor has expressed deep sadness over her inability to attend the funeral service of her late colleague and legendary actor Olu Jacobs, revealing that contractual obligations in Ghana prevented her from travelling to Nigeria to pay her final respects. Jacobs, who died on September 16, 2026, at the age of 84 after a prolonged battle with Dementia with Lewy Bodies, was laid to rest on Friday, October 2, 2026, following a funeral service at This Present House on Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. The service drew an extraordinary gathering of family, colleagues, dignitaries and admirers, with his widow, veteran actress Joke Silva, their sons, Olusoji and Olugbenga Jacobs, and a cross-section of Nollywood’s most recognisable figures in attendance.
Ozokwor, one of Nollywood’s most beloved and recognisable actresses, is currently in Ghana filming alongside Kumawood star Lil Win, a commitment that made it impossible for her to return to Nigeria for the funeral. In a message shared on her Instagram page on Friday, she wrote, “It hurts my heart that I am not physically present in Nigeria today to pay my last respects to the great legend, Olu Jacobs. I would give anything to be there right now, but contractual obligations will not allow me to. My heart and thoughts are with you all”. She added, “I pray everything goes peacefully and that his remarkable legacy lives on. Though I may not be there in person, please know that I am with you all in spirit. Rest well, great legend. Your legacy will forever remain. Go well, great legend. Ga nke Oma. Until we meet to part no more”. The phrase “Ga nke Oma,” an Igbo farewell meaning “go well,” was a poignant closing note from an actress whose career intersected with Jacobs’ across decades of Nigerian cinema.
The pain of the absence was particularly acute given the generation to which Ozokwor belongs. She and Jacobs were among the actors who witnessed and contributed to the growth of Nollywood from its earliest days, building an industry that would become one of the world’s most prolific film production centres. Their paths crossed repeatedly on sets, at industry events and in the collective memory of a viewing public that grew up watching them on screen. Ozokwor had spoken publicly about Jacobs’ health in September 2026, saying the thought of losing him was too painful to dwell on. “I don’t want to think about it,” she said at the time, reflecting on the emotional toll of losing colleagues including Sam Loco Efe and Mr Ibu. Her tribute on Friday, delivered from a film set hundreds of kilometres away, was the fulfilment of a grief she had anticipated but hoped to postpone.
The funeral service in Lagos brought together a remarkable constellation of Nigerian cultural and political figures. Richard Mofe-Damijo, Kate Henshaw, Rita Dominic, Ireti Doyle, Segun Arinze, Shaffy Bello, Hilda Dokubo, Ebele Okaro, Stan Nze, Ruth Kadiri and singer Dare Art Alade were among those who gathered to honour the late actor. Lagos State First Lady Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Dr Obafemi Hamzat, former Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and the Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, also attended. The Night of Tributes held on Wednesday, September 30, at Glover Memorial Hall had already produced a series of emotional testimonies, including Sola Sobowale’s revelation that Jacobs had personally trained her and was responsible for shaping her career.
Other tributes poured in as news of the funeral spread. Actor Chiwetalu Agu described Jacobs as more than an actor, calling him a giant of the Nigerian film industry and saying words failed him as he came to terms with the loss. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, said he was saddened by Jacobs’ death and described him as an embodiment of the excellence of the Nigerian spirit, noting that his life demonstrated the power of talent, discipline, professionalism and dedication to one’s craft. Rita Dominic described Jacobs as an icon and legend, a gift to the film industry, and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have worked alongside him and learned from him firsthand. Veteran actor Pete Edochie described Jacobs as his brother, saying he “fought like a man and a soldier” and remembering him as a humorous personality and a peaceful colleague.
Olu Jacobs, born Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs in 1942 in Kano, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and built a career that spanned British theatre and television before returning to Nigeria in 1990. He became one of the defining faces of Nigerian cinema, appearing in more than 120 productions and winning the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2007. With his wife, Joke Silva, he co-founded the Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, institutions that trained generations of Nigerian actors. His death was announced by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, who described him as “The Lion of Lufodo.”
For Ozokwor, the farewell she could not deliver in person was delivered in words instead. Her tribute, shared with her millions of followers, captured the sense of loss that has pervaded Nollywood since Jacobs’ death. The actress who spent decades playing formidable matriarchs and unforgettable characters on screen found herself in the unfamiliar position of being unable to stand with her colleagues at the final curtain. “I would give anything to be there,” she wrote. The words carried the weight of a career built alongside the man she was honouring, and the regret of a farewell that circumstances would not permit. As she put it, “Ga nke Oma. Until we meet to part no more.”
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