Nigerian actor and comedian John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, is recovering in the hospital after having his leg amputated. The actor was hospitalized last month for undisclosed reasons, his family sharing in a health update last week that Okafor has since undergone seven “successful” surgeries and also had to have one of his legs amputated.
“We want to appreciate everyone that has come through for our dad, saying we are grateful is an understatement and only the good Lord can thank you all enough for every help you’ve rendered,” the statement read. “As of 1 pm ,noon today , Daddy has gone through 7 successful surgeries but to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery one of his legs had to be amputated.. This development has been hard on us all but we’ve had to accept it as Daddy’s new reality to keep him alive.”
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Okafor, 62, has starred in dozens of Nollywood films including Keziah, 9 Wives and Mr Ibu in London. His hospitalization was first revealed in a video shared to his Instagram account in mid-October that showed Okafor laying in a hospital bed. In the video, Okafor revealed that doctors were considering amputation a last resort if other treatment methods failed after he was hospitalized for what he described as a “”strange and dangerous illness.” In an update on Oct. 31, the actor’s family said he “still recovering in the ICU,” adding that they were “still counting on all your prayers and unwavering support as we pray he gets stabilized quickly to enable us fly him abroad for further advances treatment.”
At this time, further details of his hospitalization, as well as the reason for his leg being amputated, are unconfirmed. Speaking to PUNCH, Okafor’s former manager, Emeka Chochoo, claimed that the amputation was done due to an infection of his artery that was not caught early enough.
“The doctors are treating everything one after the other. What led to the amputation of one of his legs was an infection that affected one of the arteries at the ankle,” Chochoo shared. “Blood wasn’t flowing into the leg, which was not detected on time. When it was, it had become too late, causing the doctors to decide on the amputation. The surgery was done in Nigeria.”
According to Chochoo, Okafor, known for Nollywood films including Keziah, 9 Wives and Mr Ibu in London, “will soon be flown out of the country for further treatment but for now, he is being cared for in Nigeria.” In their update, his family thanked fans for their supposed, sharing that they are “grateful and we don’t take you for granted. In due time daddy will personally acknowledge everyone who supported during this period as soon as he’s stable!”
