Angela Okorie Faces Criticism After Burning Outfit Worn to Colleague's Burial

Nollywood actress and singer Angela Okorie is facing backlash on social media after posting a video of herself burning the outfit she wore to the burial of her late colleague, Alexx Ekubo. The video was shared on Sunday and has stirred up a lot of reactions online.

Alexx Ekubo, 40, was buried on Thursday, June 18, in Arochukwu, Abia State, after battling metastatic kidney cancer. Okorie showed the burning outfit on her Instagram Story, explaining that the act was based on advice from a spiritual authority.

"This is the outfit I wore to Alex’s burial," she said in the video. "My Godmother said it’s not good to have the cloth you wore to a burial around you, you burn them. So family and friends take note, I felt I should share this information, may the lord keep and bless us with long life, amen."

The video quickly made its way to X (formerly Twitter), where many users criticized Okorie. They described her actions as "selective superstition" and said it seemed like she was seeking attention during a sensitive time of mourning. Some pointed out that she kept other valuable items worn to the burial.

A user named Ogechi, tweeting as #missy_ada2, remarked, "She kept the bag, shoes, wig and jewellery though. Selective burning." Another user, #dejay_kiss, wondered, "What about the wig, sunglasses and jewellery she wore there, her Godmother didn’t include that in the conversation?" A different user, #Highness2510, asked, "Why didn’t you burn the phone and wig you wore to the burial?"

Critics also said that sharing this information online showed a lack of emotional understanding. They felt it highlighted why the late Ekubo kept his personal life private. "Now I know better why this guy keeps his health status and personal life away from social media and his colleagues," wrote Martin-Rita, known on X as #MLAdebayo. "So, if it’s your family member that dies, you will have to bring it to social media like this."

User #DwayneFranky added, "If she burns it without anyone finding out, then that’s understandable, but burning it and coming online to announce it shows she is doing it for clout." Another user, Oti, who goes by #Blackjoeoti, said, "You can burn it without coming online to tell us, so this is very sensitive. How the family and close friends of Alex see it will be totally different; it doesn’t make any sense to me."

The criticism grew on Facebook, with users calling the practice an insult to families and workers who often attend funerals. Alphonsus Uwa wrote, "So all the church members who attend funerals with church uniforms (women’s groups, men’s groups, choir), etc., should be burning their uniforms after each funeral they attend? SMH."

Oku N Enye Ife questioned, "So what of the morticians? We should be buying new clothes every day, na? No matter what you do in life, how careful you are, how spiritually fortified, how healthy, death is inevitable." Blessing Adejoh added, "I’m still using my mom’s own and my dad’s own to church… In fact, I dey use dem as dress code for choir sef… dey play."

Another user, Cathryn Onalife Obiora, asked, "All other burials she has attended, did she come out to showcase how she burnt the clothes she wore to the burial?" Chinyere Ozuzu advised, "Make sure you burn all the other clothes used for previous burials attended and the ones you’ll use to attend future burials."

Despite the backlash, some users defended Okorie. They argued that getting rid of funeral garments is a tradition in some parts of Nigeria, even if sharing it online was not the best choice. "In my own opinion, she is right," Elizabeth Funmilola commented on Facebook. "The reason why cloth is advised to be burned is because the dead must be buried with a cloth on him or her, so that’s the reason more emphasis is laid on the cloth you wear to greet or bury the deceased."

Funmilola continued, "Also, the deceased is a young fellow, so it’s a painful and mournful exit. I think she’s not supposed to bring it to social media, but on the other hand, we learn every day," she added.

As of now, Okorie has not responded to the growing criticism. The video continues to spark discussions about boundaries, privacy, and online behavior in the Nigerian entertainment industry.