Days after Nollywood actor and producer Biodun Aleja, passed on, the industry has lost another seasoned hand, Ify Onwuemene.
Ify died after a long battle with cancer, spending over N10m to save her life.
Among the other works she participated in, Onwuemene was famed for her role in the popular sitcom ‘Everyday People’.
Reports said she had endometrial cancer.
Co-actress, Gloria Anozie-Young, gave details of the death and fight with cancer in a Facebook post:
, “With a deep sense of loss but total submission to God Almighty, we regret to announce that IFEY ONWUEMENE has gone to be with the Lord.
“IFEY ONWUEME was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Her womb was removed, but she has been battling the ailment for many years now.
“In 2019, even after eight sessions of chemotherapy, the doctors told her she had reached stage 4. However, we are not sure if she was given the wrong diagnosis or being treated with the wrong chemo, because she still felt pains on her upper abdomen and her tummy bloated.
“Ify spent more than N10m, being helped with donations by her fellow actors and other Nigerians. A GoFundme account was opened for her, but it did not yield much. She had to go for draining every two weeks at a cost of N280,000, but only 3 litres of liquid can be removed at a time so that her heart is not affected.
“IFEY has finally gone to rest, today 25th May 2021. May her soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.”
Anozie-Young stated that burial arrangements would be released by the family of the deceased.
Aleja, who produced several films and TV programmes, had also been bed-ridden for some time.
He was said to have been home for more than a year, after which he suffered a domestic accident.
Colleagues rallied around him though some of the negative factors in the Nigerian context affected efforts to save him, including industrial actions.
