Nollywood actress appeals for support as recurring cancer spreads to bones

Nollywood actress Cynthia Anijekwu has made an emotional appeal to Nigerians and well-wishers for financial assistance after revealing that she is battling cancer for the second time, with the disease now spreading to her bones.

In a video shared on social media on Tuesday, the actress disclosed that she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2023. She said she underwent surgery and chemotherapy after the diagnosis, and although the treatment initially appeared successful, the disease later returned.

According to Anijekwu, recent medical examinations revealed that the cancer has spread to her bones, making her condition more complex and significantly increasing the cost of treatment.

She explained that doctors have recommended radiation therapy and another surgery as part of her ongoing treatment, adding that the monthly cost of her medical care is now about ₦600,000.

Speaking emotionally in the video, the actress said she has spent several months moving in and out of hospitals as she continues her fight against the illness.

“I had cancer in 2023. I did my surgery and took chemotherapy, but later it came back again. I’ve been in and out of the hospital. The doctor recently told me it has reached my bones, and the treatment is now much more expensive,” she said.

Anijekwu also disclosed that the disease has affected both of her breasts and caused swelling in one of her hands, making her health challenges even more difficult.

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Appealing directly to members of the public, she pleaded for financial assistance to enable her continue treatment.

“I need to live. I need to survive. I’m asking Nigerians to please help me. Anyone that can help, please, I need help.

“Even my hands have swollen. The cancer has affected both breasts. I need to live. Please help me. I need to survive.

“Your one naira and your two naira can add up to something reasonable for me to get the proper treatment for this cancer. I’m begging you, please help me,” she said.

The actress noted that the financial burden of managing the illness has become overwhelming for her family, prompting her decision to seek public support.

Before her health challenges became public, Anijekwu built a career in Nollywood, featuring in a number of English- and Igbo-language productions.

While there is no widely documented record of her appearing in major blockbuster productions, she has remained active in the industry and is now receiving public attention following her emotional appeal for support.

Her story has drawn sympathy from fans and members of the public, with many expressing hope that she will receive the financial assistance needed to continue her treatment and recover.

Nollywood actress appeals for support as recurring cancer spreads to bones

Baba Ijesha Receives Chieftaincy Title, Brand-New Car from Ooni of Ife

Nollywood actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has announced that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, conferred a chieftaincy title on him and presented him with a brand-new car during a recent visit to the monarch’s palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

The actor disclosed the development in a Facebook post on Thursday, where he expressed gratitude to the revered traditional ruler for what he described as a warm royal reception, fatherly support and generous gifts extended to him and his wife, Afolashade Omiyinka, popularly known as Luminee.

According to Baba Ijesha, the Ooni bestowed on him the traditional title of “Baba Awada Konge Oduwa,” a recognition he described as a significant milestone in his life.

Sharing photographs from the palace visit, the actor thanked the monarch for the honour and the confidence reposed in him and his family.

“My deepest gratitude to His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife. Baba, thank you for the royal welcome, fatherly love and the confidence you gave my wife and me. For the luxurious gifts you blessed us with, including the brand-new car, I am truly humbled.

“As a son of the soil, I am honoured by the chieftaincy title of Baba Awada Konge Oduwa. Ile-Ife, Ile Oodua, and all the chiefs and citizens, thank you.”

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As of the time of filing this report, the Ooni’s Palace had not issued an official statement confirming the conferment of the title or the presentation of the vehicle. The announcement is based on Baba Ijesha’s public statement and photographs shared from the palace visit.

The reported royal recognition comes just weeks after the actor and his wife welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named King Kagar Omiyinka.

Baba Ijesha announced the birth on social media, thanking God for the new addition to his family and describing the child as a divine blessing. The couple later held a naming ceremony that attracted attention on social media after the cost of the Aso Ebi fabric generated mixed reactions among Nigerians.

The actor’s latest announcement has equally sparked widespread reactions online.

While many fans and well-wishers congratulated Baba Ijesha on receiving what they described as a prestigious traditional honour, others questioned the decision in light of his previous conviction.

In July 2022, Baba Ijesha was convicted by a Lagos Special Offences Court on charges relating to the sexual assault of a minor and sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment.

However, following a review of the applicable sentencing provisions and credit for time already spent in custody, he was released in November 2025 after serving more than three years in prison.

Since regaining his freedom, the actor has gradually returned to public life, frequently sharing updates about his family and expressing gratitude for what he describes as a second chance.

The reported honour from the Ooni has reignited public debate, with supporters describing it as an act of cultural recognition and encouragement, while critics argue that public honours should take into account the broader societal implications of celebrating individuals with criminal convictions.

The development has once again placed Baba Ijesha, the Ooni of Ife, and the conversation around traditional honours and public accountability at the centre of public discourse.

Baba Ijesha Receives Chieftaincy Title, Brand-New Car from Ooni of Ife

Court Adjourns Emeka Ike’s ₦10bn Privacy Breach Suit Against INEC, Wike’s Aide

A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until July 22, 2026, further proceedings in the ₦10 billion privacy breach suit filed by Nollywood actor and politician Emeka Ike against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Justice S.O. Ibrahim fixed the new date after INEC, the second respondent, failed to appear in court despite being served with hearing notices.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, centres on the alleged unlawful disclosure of Ike’s voter registration details, which were published on Olayinka’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account during a political exchange over the actor’s participation in the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency House of Representatives primary ahead of the 2027 general election.

At Thursday’s proceedings, counsel to the plaintiff, L.T. Adeh, informed the court that Olayinka had filed and served a counter-affidavit but noted that INEC was absent despite receiving hearing notices.

Adeh urged the court to grant a short adjournment to enable the electoral commission to appear and participate in the proceedings. He also disclosed that the plaintiff would file a reply to the first respondent’s counter-affidavit before the next hearing.

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Counsel for Olayinka, Akpama Ekwe, said he was ready to proceed with the case but did not oppose the request for an adjournment. He argued, however, that INEC could not be compelled to appear before the court.

Justice Ibrahim ruled that the interest of fair hearing required giving the electoral commission another opportunity to participate in the proceedings. He subsequently adjourned the matter until July 22 and directed that INEC be served afresh with hearing notices and all court processes filed in the suit.

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The legal action stems from screenshots showing the transfer of Emeka Ike’s voter registration from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory, which surfaced on social media in May.

According to the actor, the information was obtained from INEC’s restricted Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) administrative portal and published without his consent.

Ike contends that the disclosure violated his constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and breached the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

The actor is asking the court to declare the publication unlawful, order the removal of the social media post from all platforms, compel Olayinka to publish a public apology, and award him ₦10 billion in general, aggravated and exemplary damages.

Speaking with journalists after the hearing, Olayinka’s lawyer, Akpama Ekwe, argued that his client did not publish any sensitive personal information.

According to him, the documents only contained Ike’s name, passport photograph and voter transfer reference number.

“There is no case against my client. What he published was already in the public domain and did not contain any confidential personal information,” Ekwe maintained.

He also described the documents relied upon by the plaintiff as inadmissible and insisted that Olayinka committed no offence.

Reacting after the proceedings, Ike’s lawyer, L.T. Adeh, said the case extends beyond his client and could help strengthen the protection of Nigerians’ personal information.

He argued that if one person’s voter record could be accessed and published without authorisation, millions of other voter records could also be vulnerable.

Adeh expressed confidence that the court would establish an important legal precedent capable of improving compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act and safeguarding the personal data of registered voters.

Meanwhile, INEC has consistently maintained that its servers were not hacked.

The electoral commission said preliminary investigations showed that the documents were accessed through the alleged misuse of authorised internal credentials rather than any breach of its database.

INEC has reportedly suspended the electoral officer linked to the incident and said it is cooperating with relevant security agencies and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in ongoing investigations.

The case has attracted widespread public attention because it raises significant questions about data protection, cybersecurity, electoral integrity and the responsibility of public institutions to safeguard the personal information of more than 90 million registered Nigerian voters.

Legal observers believe the outcome of the suit could become one of Nigeria’s most significant judicial interpretations of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, particularly regarding the handling and disclosure of citizens’ personal data by government agencies and public officials.

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Court Adjourns Emeka Ike’s ₦10bn Privacy Breach Suit Against INEC, Wike’s Aide