Life is for the living.
Death is for the dead.
Let life be like music.
And death a note unsaid.
–Langston Hughes
Simply said, life is harvested by death. It shows neither mercy nor preference. Markus Zusak claims that even death has a heart. However, there are moments when one wonders what kind of heart grim reaper has. An unexpected, merciless killing sting that leaves relatives of victims in complete sorrow.
On a Sunday morning, the devastating news of Obinna Nwafor’s passing, also known as Saint Obi, broke the internet. The actor who bid the world farewell on May 7, 2023 reportedly passed away after a protracted illness. His work as a producer and director in the Nigerian film business made him well-known.
The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), due to disagreements among the family members, has not acknowledged the unfortunate incident seven days after the news went viral. Several tributes from close friends and collaborators in Nollywood, however, have appeared on social media, presenting the alleged unfortunate news as accurate and not false.
Obinna Nwafor, also known as Saint Obi, was an admirable example of commitment, dependability, and perfection. He started performing when he was 34 years old. He was a polyglot (Igbo, English, Hausa and Yoruba).
Despite not having been raised on a golden spoon, he did not miss out on opportunities. He made his debut in 1995, but it wasn’t until 1996—after appearing in a Peugeot television commercial—that he became a household name. He made use of the well-liked NTA commercial series to showcase his exceptional acting abilities and launch a lifelong career.
Saint Obi, a native of Okpa, Mbaitolu Local Government Area, Imo State was born on November 16, 1965, in Rivers state. He was a talented actor who joined the Nigerian film business with the goal of improving and sanitizing it after being inspired by international films.
He began his career in the movie business as an actor, advanced to film directing, and finally settled into the role of film producer. He overcame his own worries and surmounted potential obstacles that could have impeded his own development.
The actor, who was raised in a family of nine children and comes from Rivers, received his primary, intermediate, and post-level education in Plateau. After completing his studies at Zang Secondary Commercial School, he enrolled in the University of Jos to study theatre arts in 1991.
He was a dedicated and persistent actor who received numerous local and foreign film awards. He won multiple accolades, demonstrating that the right people valued his acting abilities.
SAINT OBI’S MARITAL LIFE
Saint Obi and Lydia Saint-Nwafor have three children together. Lynda Saint-Nwafor is the name of his wife. She is a senior MTN employee from Nigeria’s Anambra State. After 15 years together, during which they had three children, Saint Obi’s marriage to Lynda Saint-Nwafor ended in divorce in 2021.
SAINT OBI’S CAREER LIFE
In 1995, Saint Obi made his debut in Nollywood, the Nigerian film business. After making an appearance in the well-known NTA commercial series, he gained notoriety in 1996.
He has now made over 250 Nollywood appearances, notably in the movies Candle Light, Goodbye Tomorrow, Heart of Gold, Executive Crime, State of Emergency, War Front, and The President Must Not Die. He co-starred with Ebi Sam as Jerry in his debut movie, “Take Me to Mama,” which was released in 2001.
The actor gave up performing a few years ago in order to concentrate on, among other things, the business and production sides of the entertainment industry. He said in an interview that in order to make things better, he would have to work behind the scenes.
The actor claimed in an interview which was culled from Kemifilani blog that he didn’t stop acting because he couldn’t find work, but rather because he had other things he needed to get done.
“As you get older, you realize you don’t have to be in every movie.” If you’ve been following my career, you’ll know that over the years, I went from doing ten movies a year to six. “I later reduced it to one per year because I felt that what matters is how well you act, not how many times you appear in a movie,” the actor explained.
Obi is the founder and CEO of Agwhyte International Limited, a Nigerian and American production, talent, and brand management, and public relations company.
SAINT OBI’S MOVIES
• Daring Hearts
• Greatest Weapon
• Executive Crime
• Costly Mistake
• Heart of Gold
• Wedding Fever
• Final Whistle
• Sensational Spy
• Crime Planner
• When the going get tough
• Sleeping with the enemy
• Strange Love
• Fake Angel
• The greatest sacrifice
• Breath Again
• The Hypocrite
• Sqaud Twenty-Three
• Narrow Escape
• Goodbye Tomorrow
• Last Party
• Wedding Fever
• Candle Light
• State of Emergency
• Unbroken Promise
• Festival of Fire
• Royal Battle
• Narrow Escape
• Take me to Maama
• Sakobi
Executive Crime
• Myke
• Golden Moon
• More than a woman
• Urioma – Royal Palace
• Evil Finger
• In the line of Fire
• Scorpion
• Reckless Heart
• The powerful girl
• Above the law
• The God to serve
• 21 days with Christ
• The devil’s workshop
• The prince and brat
• Making of the king
• Deadly proposal
SAINT OBI’S AWARDS
Best Actor in Nigeria at the African Movie Academy Awards, Best Actor in Africa at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, Most Prominent Actor in Nigeria at the City People Entertainment Awards, and Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Nollywood Movie Awards.
