(IK Ogbonna And Alex Ekubo. Photo Credit: Naija News)
Nollywood actor IK Ogbonna has paid an emotional tribute to his late friend and colleague, Alex Ekubo, more than two months after the actor’s passing, revealing that he still instinctively reaches for his phone to call him.
Ogbonna broke his silence in an Instagram post on Tuesday, describing Ekubo’s d£ath as a loss that had reshaped his outlook on life and mortality.
“On May 11th, I lost my best friend and brother, Alexx. Nothing prepares you for a loss like that,” he wrote.
Ekubo d!ed on May 12, 2026, after spending hours on life support.
His family disclosed that he passed away at Evercare Hospital in Lagos due to complications arising from advanced metastatic kidney cancer.
Ogbonna said the weight of losing someone close could not truly be grasped until experienced firsthand.
“You never truly understand the weight of death until it’s your own person inside that vehicle. Until the phone stops ringing forever.
Until the chair beside you remains empty. Until the conversations you thought you had time to finish suddenly become memories,” he wrote.
Reflecting on the past two months, the actor admitted he had struggled to come to terms with the loss.
“That has been my reality. For the past two months, I’ve been trying to understand life. Trying to understand loss.
Trying to understand God. Trying to understand why someone so full of life can suddenly become a memory,” he said.
He recalled the dreams the pair had shared, including plans to build businesses, create films, travel together, and raise their families side by side.
“Alexx and I spoke about everything. We laughed about growing old. We dreamed about businesses. Movies we wanted to create. Places we wanted to travel.
The lives we imagined for our children. Success. Legacy. Family. We truly believed we had time. Neither of us imagined one of us would leave first.
Life had another plan. Or perhaps, God simply had a different plan,” he wrote.
Ogbonna said his faith had brought him some measure of peace despite the unanswered questions surrounding his friend’s passing.
“As painful as it is… I’ve found peace believing that God’s wisdom is greater than mine.
There are questions my heart still asks that my mind cannot answer. But faith reminds me that not every answer is meant to be understood on this side of eternity,” he said.
He described Ekubo as someone who left a genuine impact on the lives of those around him.
“My greatest comfort is knowing that you truly lived. You didn’t merely exist. You loved. You gave.
You laughed loudly. You showed up. You carried people. You believed in people.
Maybe, that’s what a successful life really is. Not how much money we made.
Not how many followers we had. Not how many awards sat on our shelves. But how many hearts became better because we existed,” he wrote.
The actor also spoke about how grief continues to shape his daily life.
“There are still moments I instinctively reach for my phone, wanting to call you. Moments I hear something funny and think, ‘Alexx has to hear this.’
Then reality quietly reminds me. I can’t, and that pain never truly leaves. You simply learn to carry it differently,” he wrote.
He encouraged others to cherish their loved ones while they still can.
“If there is one thing I hope you take away from this: Love people while they can still hear you.
Tell them you appreciate them while they can still smile back. Forgive quickly. Call your parents. Check on your friends.
Spend time with your family. Laugh more. Hold grudges less. Live intentionally,” he said.
Rounding off the tribute, Ogbonna expressed gratitude for their friendship and pledged to honour Ekubo’s memory. “Alexx, my brother. Thank you.
For every conversation. Every correction, every laugh, every disagreement that made us stronger. Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for trusting me enough to call me your brother. It remains one of the greatest honours of my life.
You may no longer walk beside me, but you will always walk within me. I promise to keep living.
To keep building, to keep creating, to keep showing up, to keep chasing purpose, to leave this world better than I met it. Until we meet again, my brother.
Rest well. I love you, always.”
