Veteran actor Diewait Ikpechukwu dies at 71, daughter demands privacy
By Damilola Akinwale –
Nollywood has lost another veteran actor, Diewait Ikpechukwu, who reportedly died on Thursday after battling a prolonged illness, according to a family source.
Following his death, his daughter, Chiamaka Yusuf, popularly known as Chiamax, has appealed for privacy, asking that nobody publish her father’s obituary without her consent.
In an emotional video shared on her Instagram page on Friday, Chiamax called on the Actors Guild of Nigeria to pull down an alleged burial poster of her father, insisting that she should be the one to announce his death.
“Actors Guild, I don’t want you guys to post my daddy. Nobody should post my daddy’s poster. You people should leave me alone. Nobody should call me. I’m still wearing my daddy’s shirt; he wore it yesterday.
“You people should please take it down. If anybody should announce his passing, it would be me. Nobody would do that for me, please,” she said tearfully.
Ikpechukwu, who was formerly a footballer and business office manager at Nike, became known for his performances in several Nollywood films, including The August Meeting, Royal Palace (2005), The Guilty (2006), Across the River (2006), Python King (2007) and Ìjé Love (2022).
Beyond acting, he reportedly owned a communications company and was an advocate for mentoring young talents.
The 71-year-old was also known for advising upcoming actors to avoid desperation, approach every role with dedication and guard against exploitation in the entertainment industry.
