Veteran Nollywood actor Pete Edochie has again reacted to reports claiming he is dead, describing the story as false and tiring.
The popular movie star said the rumour is not new and that he has been wrongly declared dead many times over the years.
The latest claim began circulating earlier this week, leading to concern among fans and followers.
Speaking during a telephone chat on Tuesday, the respected actor made it clear that he is alive and in good health.
Edochie, widely known by his famous role name Ebubedike, said this is about the seventh time he has heard stories announcing his death.
According to him, different versions of the rumour have surfaced in the past, including claims that he died while travelling abroad and another that he was involved in a plane crash on a trip from Enugu to Ethiopia.
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He also shared a personal experience involving his wife.
On one occasion, he said his wife was preparing to attend church when she received a phone call from someone who claimed to have heard that he had died that same morning.
He added that just last year, a person in Ghana spread a similar story alleging that he had already been buried.
The actor explained that he does not allow such reports to disturb him.
He recalled a lesson he learnt from Nigeria’s late nationalist leader, Nnamdi Azikiwe, during an interview he once conducted with him.
According to Edochie, Azikiwe had told him that those who wish others dead would pass on before the person they are targeting.
He said that many people who wished Azikiwe dead did not outlive him, and that teaching has stayed with him.
Edochie, who will celebrate his 79th birthday on March 7, said he is thankful for his current state of health.
He also pointed to the long life record in his family, noting that his father lived until the age of 96.
He said: “I’m alive and will die when my maker calls me home.”
“I have been killed about seven times. There was a time they said I travelled abroad and died there. At other times, they said that the plane I boarded from Enugu to Ethiopia suddenly crashed and I didn’t survive.”
“There was also a day my wife woke up to prepare for church service, when her telephone rang and the caller said he heard that I passed away that morning. Last year, somebody from Ghana alleged that Pete Edochie was already in the grave.”
“However, there was something late Nnamdi Azikwe taught me when I interviewed him. He said that anybody who’s wishing you death will die before you.”
“All those people that wished Zik death died before him. That was what I learnt from Zik.”
