VETERAN ACTRESS, ONYEKA ONWENU, IS DEAD

Veteran actress, Onyeka Onwenu, has passed on at the age of 72. She died in Lagos, on Tuesday (July 30, 2024), after performing at the 80th birthday party of Stella Okoli (MD, Emzor Pharmaceuticals). According to reports, she slumped after taking her seat, following her performance. She was immediately rushed to Reddington Specialist Hospital, where she eventually gave up the ghost.  

Onyeka Onwenu was not only an actress, she was also a singer, journalist, social activist, and politician. She will be remembered among other things, for her contributions to Nollywood. Some of the movies she appeared in are Women's Cot, Risng Moon, Half of a Yellow Sun, and Lionheart, to name a few. in 2006 she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in the movie Widow’s Cot.

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Onyeka Onwenu in Half of a Yellow Sun

Onwenu hailed from Arondizuogu, a town in Ideato North, Imo State, but was raised in Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State. She was the youngest daughter, D.K Onwenu, was an educationist and politician, who died when she was just 4 years old. Onwenu obtained a BA in International Relations and Communication from Wellesley College, Massachusetts, and an MA in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research, New York.

Richard Mofe-Damijo and Onyeka Onwenu

Onyeka Onwenu was very reticent about her private life. She got married in 1984. While the marriage did not last, it produced two children, Tijani Ogunlende and Abraham Ogunlende. Her first son, Tijani Ogunlende, is a graphic artist, while her second son, Abraham Ogunlende, is a painter.

Dubbed the Elegant Stallion, she was an epitome of grace, composure, and style. At a point, she was the highest paid and most sought after actress in Nollywood. She would later leave Nollywood for other pursuits, but she left an indelible mark on the industry.