The Nigerian film industry has been thrown into mourning following the death of veteran actor and film executive, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, who died at the age of 84.
His son, Olusoji Jacobs, confirmed the passing in a statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
“It is with gratitude to God for a life well lived and fought, that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, grandfather and uncle. The Lion of Lufodo. Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs (MFR) 11/07/1942 – 16/09/2026. We call on all bloggers and social media influencers to respect our family’s privacy at this time,” he wrote.
Almost immediately, tributes have poured in across social media, with Nollywood stars, fans and cultural leaders remembering the man many called “Uncle Olu.”
A Lion Goes Home
Olu Jacobs was one of Nigeria’s most respected actors and a towering figure in theatre, television and film for more than five decades.
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Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England, he began his acting career in Britain working with repertoire theatres and appearing in British television productions and international films including The Dogs of War and Roman Polanski’s Pirates, before returning to Nigeria to become one of the founding pillars of Nollywood.
He is a recipient of the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor (2007), the Industry Merit Award at the AMVCA (2013) and the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR (2011).
An Industry Reacts
For many younger actors, the news hit differently. Jacobs had survived at least three major death hoaxes in recent years, with his family and wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, repeatedly debunking the rumours and assuring the public he was “alive and well”.
Today, the condolences are real.
On X and Instagram, actors have described him as “the school,” “the blueprint,” and “the father every set needed.”
The Actors Guild of Nigeria, which had in the past fought off false reports about the legend, is expected to issue an official statement later today. Colleagues who worked closely with the Lufodo Group, the film and performing arts academy he ran with his wife Joke Silva, have called his death “the end of an era.”
Fans have flooded the family’s post with messages like “Rest well, legend,” “Thank you for the grace and the diction,” and “Nollywood will never forget The Lion of Lufodo.”
He is survived by his wife, Joke Silva, and children.
Burial arrangements are yet to be announced by the family.
