What happened to Saint Obi? Tributes pour in as veteran Nollywood actor dies aged 57

Well-known actor Saint Obi recently passed away on May 7, 2023, at the age of 57. His cause of death is yet to be revealed, and one of his siblings stated that he was at his residence in Jos, Plateau State, at the time of his death. On the other hand, blogger EmDee David said that he was continuously visiting the hospital to get treated for an unknown health problem.

Although he died seven days ago, the same was disclosed recently as his siblings reportedly had a dispute over something. His family members have yet to issue an official statement on the matter.

Netizens pay tribute to Saint Obi on Twitter

Saint Obi gained recognition over the years for his flawless work in films. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about his death.

Obi's net worth was reported to be around $7 million, which was a result of his successful career in the entertainment industry. He even pursued a career as a musician, releasing a few albums like Mr. President and Good Time.

Saint Obi was known for his appearances in several Nigerian films

Born on November 16, 1965, Saint Obi was raised in a family of nine children and was the only son among his siblings. He went to the Zang Secondary Commercial School and enrolled at the University of Jos, where he finished his graduation in Theatre Arts in 1991.

Obi developed an interest in acting during his childhood and used to watch a lot of films at the time. He made his acting debut with an NTA commercial series in 1996, and his first film as a producer was Take Me to Maama, released in 2002. He also played the lead role in the film along with Ebi Sam.

Obi was known for his appearances in several Nollywood films like Heart of Gold, State of Emergency, The President Must Not Die, Candle Light, and more. He was a recipient of various accolades at the African Movie Academy Awards, Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, City People Entertainment Awards, and Nollywood Movie Awards.

He was an athlete and participated in various football and basketball tournaments. He established a production, talent, brand management, and public relations company called Agwhyte International Limited. Although he was praised for his acting skills, he soon retired as he wanted to put more emphasis on the field of business.

Obi later appeared in an interview and said that he left acting because he was planning to do something else in his life. He stated that he used to do ten or six films in a year and later reduced the number because, according to him, people were more interested in someone's acting skills.

Saint Obi is survived by his three children, who were born from his marriage to Lynda Saint-Nwafor. Saint and Lynda were married from 2006 to 2021. They were embroiled in a divorce custody battle before Obi's demise.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

Know More