Reportedly, Murphy Afolabi, a renowned Yoruba actor and filmmaker, has passed away less than 24 hours after the demise of Saint Obi, a popular Nollywood actor.
It has been reported that the actor, who performed in Yoruba films, experienced a fall in the bathroom of his residence located in Ikorodu, Lagos on the morning of Sunday, May 14th, 2023.
Seun Olaiya, a prominent filmmaker and the president of the Yoruba Movies Directors Guild, conveyed the unfortunate news on a WhatsApp platform that is frequented by fellow filmmakers.
The Managing Director of Corporate Pictures Nigeria Limited, Abdullahi Abdulrasaq, provided corroboration for his statement.
Olaiya stated, “Immediately prior to the news broadcast, I was expressing admiration towards him.” This comes as an unexpected surprise to me.
Seun Oloketuyi, a prominent figure in the entertainment industry and organizer of the Best of Nollywood Awards, has verified the information. He confirmed the veracity of the statement. Regrettably, he succumbed to his injuries subsequent to a fall that occurred in his residence located in Ikorodu earlier today.
Tunde Ola-Yusuf, a fellow filmmaker, shared a photograph of the deceased actor on Facebook and included the phrase, “May he rest in peace.” May the family and close associates be granted the strength to endure the loss. Good evening, Mr. Murphy Afolabi.
Yet another filmmaker, Fidelis Duker, wrote, “What is really happening? I am just watching him in a movie now.”
However, some Yoruba actors were seen commenting and commiserating with the family of the deceased.
Afolabi entered the film industry in 2001, having been born on May 5, 1974. The individual who graduated from Ire Polytechnic, Osun State, had appeared in more than 60 movies prior to their passing. The actors’s professional portfolio encompasses a range of notable film productions, including ‘Ifa Olokun’, ‘Omowunmi’, ‘Jimi Bendel’, ‘Wasila Coded’, ‘Olokiki Oru’, and ‘Idera’.