Justus
Many took a status from his son on social networking site Twitter as confirmation of the veteran actor's passing. According to Secretary-General of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Abubakar Yakub Esiri passed as a result of complications arising from diabetes. His also reports the actor died in a Lagos hospital.
Abubakar told PM News Nigeria, "This is a very sad one. I don’t know why death seems to have focussed on our industry for some time now. We have lost four members already this year. Uncle Justus was like a father to all of us, and we will miss him greatly."
The news of Esiri's death came as the entertainment industry was still mourning the sudden passing of Goldie Harvey on Valentine's Day and actor Enebeli Elebuwa who passed away last month.
The actor was born on 20 November 1942 in what is now Delta State. He studied and started acting in Germany before returning to Nigeria in the 1970's. Esiri first came to fame when he appeared in Village Headmaster as the headmaster in the 1970s. The series aired on the Nigerian Television Authority. He has since acted in more than 100 titles including Home in Exile, Kingdom of Men, Most Wanted Bachelor and many more