OBITUARY: Alexx Ekubo, the actor who was private in life and silent in his cancer battle until the end

“There are two things I don’t talk about publicly: my relationship and my finances. Just know that I’m not missing any meal, and I’m far from lonely.”

This was Alexx Ekubo‘s gentle but firm reply whenever interviewers ventured too close to his private life. From the very beginning of his career, the actor was deliberate about boundaries, drawing a clear line between the man the world saw and the life he kept to himself.

That same quiet resolve apparently extended to his health.

News of the 40-year-old actor’s demise circulated on Tuesday. Reports linked his death to complications from cancer. The news landed like a thunderclap: fans were stunned, colleagues heartbroken. Many didn’t know he had been fighting any illness at all. That silence, that restraint — it was classic Ekubo.

Even some of his closest colleagues shared private exchanges in which he repeatedly assured them he was fine, all while quietly battling the disease.

THE X FACTOR

Born Alex Ikenna Ekubo-Okwaraeke on April 10, 1986, the film star added an extra “X” to his name for one simple reason: to stand out.

“X for extra large,” he said in a 2014 interview on Channels Television. “I just wanted to distinguish myself. There are a lot of Alexes in the entertainment industry.”

He studied law at the University of Calabar, but his first love was acting, a passion sparked, he said, by watching film productions unfold in his family home in Surulere, Lagos.

MODEL TURNED ACTOR OR ACTOR TURNED MODEL?

Many called him a model turned actor after he emerged as first runner-up at the 2010 Mr Nigeria contest. That platform brought him wider recognition and led to his first major movie role in ‘Ladies Men’.

But Ekubo rejected the label. He insisted that acting came before modelling.

“I don’t know if I’m an actor turned model or a model turned actor because my first-ever move into entertainment was acting. I starred in a movie by Lancet in 2003, so I started off as an actor. Then I went on to study law, and later in life, I somehow found my way back into acting,” he said.

Before the pageant, Ekubo revealed he had already appeared in productions such as ‘Sinners in the House’ (2003), ‘Happy Family’ (2007), and ‘Secrets and Scandals’ (2008).

The Mr Nigeria contest boosted his popularity, but in Ekubo’s mind, he was always an actor first.

While he became widely known for romantic roles, Ekubo showed range across genres and languages. Though from Abia, he spoke Yoruba, Efik, and Hausa. In the 2023 film Almajiri, he delivered most of his dialogue in Hausa.

Ekubo was also vocal about his love for acting, often describing it as the “best job in the world”.

“My job is the best job in the world. Being an actor is the best. It serves me before great men and women. It is just a blessing,” he said in an interview with Vox Africa TV.

“I love my job with all sincerity. This is the best job in the world. When I’m acting, I’m home,” he said in another interview.

Over the years, the accolades followed. In 2012, he won ‘Most Promising Actor’ at the Best of Nollywood Awards. In 2014, he took home ‘Favourite Male Emerging Screen Talent’ at the Screen Nation Awards. He was named ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ at the 2020 Best of Nollywood Awards and ‘Most Popular Actor’ at the 2021 Net Honours.

In 2020, he was listed among the ‘Most Influential People of African Descent’ under 40, in recognition of his contribution to entertainment and social development across Africa.

THE CANCER HE NEVER SPOKE OF

News of Ekubo’s death from cancer came as a shock because there had been no public indication that he was ill.

And yet, years before his passing, he had spoken about cancer in a strikingly reflective way—not as a patient, but as a sympathiser.

In a 2011 X post, he wrote: “I hope to see a day when cancer would be just a zodiac sign.”

He also supported awareness initiatives, including charity walks and campaigns against the disease. At the time, no one knew he would one day be fighting it in silence.

THE RUMOURS HE REFUSED TO ANSWER

From early in his career, Ekubo was trailed by rumours about his sexuality, including claims linking him to fellow personalities like Uti Nwachukwu and IK Ogbonna.

He consistently dismissed the speculation and maintained that he owed no public explanation.

“I’ve never come out to refute anything because I don’t owe anybody any explanation. It’s my life,” he said in a 2013 interview.

The controversy resurfaced after his engagement to Fancy Acholonu was called off in December 2021.

She later alleged that one of the “major reasons” for the breakup was his declining sexual relations. The claim sparked widespread online reactions.

Ekubo did not publicly respond.

THE SPIRITUAL MAN NO ONE SAW

Because of his frequent romantic and “playboy” roles on screen, Ekubo was often perceived as a typical bad boy.

However, in several interviews, he said he was far more spiritual than people assumed, noting that he would “feel bad” if he ended up in hell, given his religious upbringing.

“I am a very spiritual person. If I end up in hell, I will feel bad because of my background. My dad is an elder, and my mum is an evangelist. I was in the choir in church. I am quite spiritual, contrary to what people may think,” he said in a 2018 interview.

“I fast every Wednesday, no matter where I am in the world, and I have been doing so for four years now. I also consistently pay my tithe.”

After his passing, gospel singer Ebuka Songs described him as “a man who genuinely longed for the presence of Jesus”.

“Beyond the screens and the applause was a man who genuinely longed for the presence of Jesus. I remember when you reached out, not for anything else, but simply because you wanted us to worship together, And we did. Those moments now feel even more precious,” he wrote.

“This hurts, Truly. It’s is hard to write this with dry eyes. But I am comforted by the hope that those who belong to Christ are never lost.”

THE SILENCE BEFORE THE END 

In the years following the buzz about his sexuality and failed engagement, Ekubo gradually withdrew from the public eye. He became less active on social media and never abandoned the privacy that had defined him.

His final Instagram post came on December 30, 2024: a quiet expression of admiration for a traditional masquerade from his village.

It was a small, gentle moment — now his last known public words.

And in typical Alexx Ekubo fashion, he said nothing more than he wanted to.(TheCable)