Leonard Chimezie Onyemachi, the Nollywood actor fondly called Leo Mezie, has passed away.
Chioma Toplis, the actress, confirmed Mezie’s death in a post via her Instagram handle on Monday.
Toplis said the actor, who had been battling a kidney condition for years, died on Saturday while recovering from surgery. He was 46.
She added that he has been moved to his hometown in Umuahia.
“Actor Leo Mezie is dead. He died on Saturday in Abuja while recovering from a kidney transplant. His corpse has been moved to Umuahia his hometown. RIP Leo,” she wrote.
Paying tribute to the deceased, Okon Lagos wrote, ” Fought hard. Fought well. Rest easy y brother.”
The actor was said to have had a kidney transplant over four years ago.
As of the time of this report, the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) had yet to speak on the development.
Calls placed to its executives, including its president Emeka Rollas, were not answered.
Mezie’s passing comes as the latest in a list of tragedies that have hit Nollywood over the past weeks.
David Osagie, another Nollywood actor, had died earlier in May after what was suspected to be a heart attack.
This was after Chinedu Bernard, the actress, was said to have slumped to her death while cleaning a church.
It is understood that the actress was rushed to a hospital where she was eventually confirmed dead.
Her case had come after that of Francisca Choji, another actress, who was found lifeless in a Plateau hotel.
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