The Actors Guild of Nigeria Has Not Abandoned Mr. Ibu, His Wife Is Spreading False Information – Kate Henshaw

The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has denied allegations that it has deserted Nigerian actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, during his time of need.

The celebrated Nollywood actor has for the past few weeks been hospitalized over a serious condition which he says might lead to the amputation of his legs.

In a video shared on his Instagram, Mr. Ibu and his family appealed to the public to come to their aid in terms of financial support to get the actor the needed medical attention.

His wife, Stella Maris, also called out AGN for neglecting the esteemed actor, an allegation that sparked outrage from netizens.

The association’s Director of Communications, Kate Henshaw, has however denied the claims, saying AGN extended support to Mr. Ibu and his family even before his health issue became public knowledge, with the family’s complete awareness.

“We want to set the records straight over the public outcry that the Guild and its colleagues have abandoned him [Mr. Ibu] at his point of need. The Guild has never abandoned any of its members in need, especially with health interventions. We have been at the forefront of providing necessary support to Mr. Ibu even before his health condition was ever made public. This was done with full knowledge of his immediate family members.

“We have had to task members privately to help in providing assistance towards the intervention. We do not make public any form of assistance provided for our members in need. It is not our Modus Operandi,” she said in a statement over the weekend.

In a counter-response, Stella Marris, in a video shared by social media critic Very Dark Man, maintained that they had not received any support as purported by the Guild’s spokesperson and the statement was just a cover-up, reiterating that all efforts to reach out to them had proved futile.

Kate Henshaw fired back again, accusing Mr. Ibu’s wife of spreading false information and insisted that they have aided Mr. Ibu since 2021. She said they have the bank records and donations made privately to Mr. Ibu to prove it.

While urging everyone to concentrate on getting the actor on his feet, Miss Henshaw indicated that she had no interest in throwing mud at anyone and would not make any further statement pertaining to the matter.