Actors Guild condemns Nkem Owoh’s rumoured death

Pic-Nkem Owoh

The national leadership of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has strongly denied and condemned the on-going rumour that top actor and one of its leading lights, Nkem Owuh is dead.

According to Mr. Ejike Asiegbu, the national president of the body, the rumour is baseless, malicious, wicked and a calculated attempt to ridicule and bring into disrepute the names of AGN and Owoh.
He further warned those spreading the evil tale to desist from such idle talks, before the long arm of the law catches up with them and their sponsors.

Meanwhile, it would be recalled that the nation’s motion picture industry, globally known as Nollywood, was temporarily thrown into pandemonium a fortnight ago, with the wild fire like rumour that Owoh, currently the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), best actor, was arrested and beheaded, for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia.

However, another version of the ugly rumour, has it that Owoh, from Enugu State, died in Europe, when the hard drugs, he had earlier ingested, ruptured in his stomach, while on transit.

*On set of Osoufia in London

Meanwhile as the rumour kept spreading and circulating throughout the nation and even beyond, the man at the centre of the storm, further compounded it, by refusing to publicly come out to deny the rumour.

Even the several calls and sms to his GSM phones, by most of his colleagues and fans were not answered or replied. Same for those made by most entertainment journalists.

The rumour, which has been on for over a fortnight, was however, doused when Asiegbu, finally got in touch with Owoh, who was in Abuja shooting a movie and maybe, obviously enjoying the unfolding drama that has further soared his popularity rating in Nollywood.

In the words of Asiegbu,” I can never doubt the character of Nkem Owoh. He is a man I have known for so long. He is equally, a respected member of AGN and I’m proudly telling the world that he is not dead or involved in drugs trafficking. Owoh is alive and kicking,” confirmed the popular actor.

Surprisingly, aside Asiegbu, Owoh, has blatantly refused to speak with most of his colleagues and entertainments journalists constantly dialing his phone numbers.

Even a reliable insider, argued that the engineer turned actor, is unlikely going to address the media and the nation on the issue. “ I don’t think Nkem Owoh will address the media on this issue”, Asiegbu, further confirmed.

Owoh, unarguably one of the highest paid Nollwood actors, became more popular when he starred in the lead role of Osuofia in London, one of the highest selling comic movies ever to have come out of the nation’s motion picture industry and from the stable of Kingsley Ogoro productions.

It is also important to note that Nkem’s case is not the first in the history of Nollywood; several big names had been linked with rumoured deaths and drugs related offences in the past.