Actress Chioma Chukwuka announces death of her father

Nollywood actress Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha has announced the death of her father, Leonard Ndukaife Chukwuka. The actress disclosed the news in an emotional message shared on her social media platforms. She described her father as her “daddy”, “papa’m”, “obara’m” and “comfort”, and said she was struggling to find words to express her grief.

Chukwuka-Akpotha said the death was particularly painful because her mother, Grace Chukwuka, died 13 years ago. She said losing her father meant that neither parent was still alive, a reality she described as heartbreaking. The actress recalled the time she spent with her father and expressed gratitude that he had lived a long life and seen his children and grandchildren.

She also reflected on the difficulty of saying goodbye, writing that people still want another conversation, embrace or day with a parent regardless of how many years they have together. Chukwuka-Akpotha said she had kept the news private while trying to process the loss. She asked the public to remember her, her siblings and the wider Chukwuka family in their prayers.

She said funeral arrangements would be announced when the family was ready. Chukwuka-Akpotha is an actress, director, producer and mentor whose career in Nollywood spans more than two decades and hundreds of films, according to the source material.