Nollywood actor Cjay passes away

The Nigerian entertainment scene is in shock after the death of Nollywood actor Chijioke "Cjay" Nwokafor.

Actress Nkechi Blessing announced the sad news on Instagram on Wednesday. She shared videos of herself with Cjay, showing their friendship.

Blessing didn’t explain what led to Cjay’s death. She mentioned she cancelled the release of her movie, "Egusi Ogbono," as a way to honour him. Cjay acted in the film.

Originally, she planned to release the movie at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. But after a hospital confirmed Cjay’s passing, she decided to withdraw it.

Blessing shared that she spoke with Cjay early Wednesday morning. Hours later, she got the heartbreaking news of his death.

"Cjay Nwoke Oma, so this is really the end? Omo we had plans. I spoke to you at 8 a.m. today and a few hours later you are no more with us."

"Omo please return if possible because I refuse to type otherwise and this is too much for me to handle," Blessing wrote.

As of now, Cjay’s family and friends have not shared more details about his death or his funeral plans.

Cjay started acting in 2021. He featured in many films during his short career.

The actor from Anambra appeared in movies like "Larry Cold," "Mum Overnight," and "A Day to My Wedding."

In a conversation with Trybe TV on 21 September, Cjay talked about his first time on a film set. That experience inspired him to pursue acting seriously.

He recalled working with filmmaker Ruth Kadiri and being motivated by how the actors behaved on set.

Cjay also discussed how people viewed him. He mentioned that many thought he was arrogant, but that was not who he really was.

Since his death, two Instagram posts from Cjay on 23 and 12 September have caught the attention of fans and colleagues.

In one post, he wrote, "No pressure, lifestyle cost na you no know."

In another, he said, "Life’s too short to be unhappy, live every minute like it’s your last. Live, love, laugh."