Chico Ejiro, a popular Nollywood producer and screenwriter better known as Mr. Prolific, is dead. It was gathered that Ejiro, who was popularly known for producing blockbuster movies in the 90s died on Friday, Christmas Day, about 2am.
The younger brother to another renowned film maker, Zeb Ejiro, produced movies like Silent Night, Blood Money, Deadly Affair, among several other notable movies, Jomog News Nigeria reports.
Ejiro has been in and out of hospital for an undisclosed illness in recent weeks and just finished shooting a new movie.
According to Channels TV, the Nigerian filmmaker breathed his last in the early hours of Friday after suffering a seizure.
In a phone conversation with The PUNCH, his colleague and close friend, Zik Zulu, said, “Yes, it is true, Chico Ejiro is dead.”
Also, the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, confirmed the filmmaker’s death.
He said, “I just learnt of his death. The news of his death is so devastating. I do not know the cause of his death; I am still calling around to get the proper information and I am waiting for his association ― The Association of Movie Producers ― to make a statement.”
Another source close to the deceased, revealed that Ejiro died about 2 am on Christmas Day.
“He was ill about five weeks ago and he was rushed to a hospital in Surulere where he was placed on admission. After about a week, he was discharged and he went back home to recuperate.
“From what he said, he had high blood pressure that led to some heart complications. He was recuperating and got better. He even started a production that he was shooting about four days ago but he was not fully involved.
“He was just like the supervising director. He will go to the location and supervise them, so, we all felt that he was good. Although he kept saying that he had not gotten back to his full health; he was still very weak. We were shocked about his death because he was even talking to some of his friends till late last night. I learnt he died about 2 am this morning,” the source said.
It is understood that the body of Ejiro, who was said to have recently concluded directing his new movie on Christmas eve, has been deposited at the morgue.
Ejiro had directed over 80 movies within a five-year period — each one reportedly shot in as little as three days.
It was to his credit that he discovered Nollywood talents like Jim Iyke, Ramsey Nouah, Victoria Iyama, among others.
In the early days of his career, the deceased producer had studied Agriculture but later dived into movie making.
Tributes have begun to pour in for the late filmmaker as words of his death spread.
