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The Digest:

Over the past two decades, cancer has claimed the lives of many Nigerian entertainers. The roll call includes highlife legend Sunny Okosun (colon cancer, 2008), singer Sound Sultan (rare blood cancer, 2021), actress Ify Onwuemene (endometrial cancer, 2021), actor Karibi Fubara (kidney cancer, 2021), gospel singer Aduke Gold (cervical cancer, 2024), and actor Alexx Ekubo (stage 4 kidney cancer, 2026). The disease has struck across genres – from highlife to gospel, from Nollywood to hip-hop, leaving a permanent scar on the entertainment industry.

List of Nigerian Celebrities Who Died of Cancer
  • Sunny Okosun (2008) – colon cancer
  • Karibi Fubara (2021) – kidney cancer
  • Sound Sultan (2021) – blood cancer (angioimmunoblastic T‑cell lymphoma)
  • Ify Onwuemene (2021) – endometrial cancer
  • Aduke Gold (2024) – cervical cancer
  • Alexx Ekubo (2026) – stage 4 kidney cancer
Fans and colleagues continue to mourn. The growing list of celebrity cancer deaths may finally push the government and health institutions to prioritise cancer screening and affordable treatment in Nigeria.

Sources: The Cable, Pulse