His death came as a surprise to many as a lot of people including colleagues and friends didn’t know he was sick. According to reports, Muna died around 4:15pm on that fateful day after he was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Lagos after he collapsed at his home in Festac, Lagos.
We bring you six things you probably didn’t know about Muna Obiekwe and some circumstances which led to his death..
1. He had been battling with kidney disease for some years
After his death, investigation reveals Muna discovered his kidney problem a long time ago but like most people, he thought he could manage it. He ignored the pain and continued working without paying much attention.
According to a close source, he only took his drugs and medication once in a while as ‘Muna never believed the ailment could lead to his death.
He believed he would survive it like he did the death of his parents. He was not a man given to worrying about things. He believed it was not a coincidence his parents named him Munachimso, a name which means God is walking with me.
The kidney problem persisted and Muna was eventually forced to seek the help of a doctor in a Lagos. The doctor gave him a ray of hope. He assured Muna that his worse fear of Kidney transplant might not happen if only he could do up to 20 dialyses.
Vera Kanu, a mother figure to him in Nollywood confirmed it saying, “I was with him to the last hour. He was to do up to 20 dialyses; the doctor said if the dialysis improved his condition, the worse would certainly be over. He was told he will be okay if he avoids alcohol but he never did till his death.
2. He drank heavily and was a chain smoker
According to sources, his parents death in a fatal crash accident might have led him to drinking and smoking to console himself.‘As a matter of fact, he was supposed to be in that car with them but by stroke of luck, he wasn’t and was spared.
Afterwards, Muna took solace in liquor but that never affected his job.Despite his condition, multiple sources revealed he was still consuming alcohol on a regular basis.
“Everybody in the industry knows Muna drinks a lot; even when he’s shooting in the North, he has a way of finding alcohol,” a Nollywood source told us. he could drink the whole sea but when he hears the director shout ‘action,’ he gets into character.
3. He was a very private person
Contrary to many reports Muna was not ready to beg or raise money because he was too ashamed of what his colleague or press will say. “The guy was private. He kept to himself a lot and most importantly, kept his private life private.
He didn’t want press or his colleagues to start prying. He was particularly afraid of the press, hence his shutting his colleagues out of his pain. He knew if some Nollywood people got to know about it, the press would also get to know.
He refused to beg to save Nollywood’s image, he in-turn, lost himself.”
A Nollywood star said the press needs to be less judgmental. If he wasn’t too scared of the press, perhaps, he would have reached out for help.”Shortly before his death, Muna summoned enough courage despite his private nature and contacted Nollywood actress and former beauty queen, Ibinabo Fiberesima.
He however, promised to get back to her, perhaps to discuss details of his deteriorating health with her but fate struck a fatal blow and he never did.
The source continued “the dialysis was expensive for Muna. He was doing two in a week sometimes. And he would need blood injection on each occasion. Each appointment was costing him between N250, 000 to N300, 000; money he did not really have to spend.
His health was eating deep into his purse yet Muna refused to go cap in hand begging for alms. He was a private guy who didn’t want the press or his colleagues to feast on his pain, and cast aspersions on Nollywood’s industry of beggars’.
Vera, his godmother corroborated the point. “He was managing it on his own. As a matter of fact, he has been managing it for a while until Ejiro Okurame and I came on board to help.
We were combining resources to help him but there was very little we could do to save him. We had to enlist the help of Patience Ozokwor and Kanayo O. Kanayo (KOK) at a point. They rendered the help they could until he died.”
4.Muna was married with 2 children.
Many people did not know he was married with two children.Sources say his wife and children are based abroad.
5.Muna is the first cousin of Yul Edochie
Muna is also the first cousin of Yul Edochie, that makes him a member of Pete Edochie’s family.
6.Muna was one of the three busiest actors in the Nollywood Industry