Nollywood is mourning the death of promising actor Chijioke Temidayo Nwokafor, popularly known as Cjay Nwoks, who reportedly died on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, after a brief illness.
News of the actor’s death was announced by actress and filmmaker Nkechi Blessing Sunday, who shared the heartbreaking update from a hospital in Badore, Lagos.
Nkechi, who recently cast Cjay as the lead actor in her upcoming film Egusi Ogbono, struggled to contain her emotions as she announced that the movie would no longer be released as planned.
“It took me a lot to do this video because we won’t be dropping the movie again by 5 pm,” she said in an emotional video shared on Instagram.
“Right now, I’m in the hospital in Badore. I just lost CJay. CJay is dead. I don’t even know where to start.”
Cjay’s death has come as a shock to colleagues and fans, particularly as he was steadily building a career in the Nigerian film industry.
He began his professional acting career in 2021 and went on to feature in several Nollywood productions, including Doctor Lanre, Tide, Godly Escort, Fond of You, Larry Cold and What Time Left.
His growing profile earned him the lead role in Nkechi Blessing’s upcoming movie Egusi Ogbono, making his sudden death particularly painful for the filmmaker and the cast.
Following news of his passing, tributes have begun pouring in from colleagues and fans who have described him as a promising talent whose career was cut short.
