Popular Nollywood actor Ibrahim Chatta has announced the death of his son.
The 54-year-old actor broke the news on Instagram on Saturday, sharing a photo of the boy with a heartfelt tribute.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un, Ya Allah [which means, ‘We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return’],” he wrote. “You are the Knower of all things. Rest on, dear son, champ.”
The announcement sparked an outpouring of condolences from colleagues and fans, who filled the comment section with prayers and comforting messages.
Chatta’s loss comes just days after veteran actress Peju Ogunmola also buried her only son, Ayomikun, in Ibadan. The double tragedy has plunged the Nollywood community into mourning.
This is not the first time the actor has faced such grief. In June, he revealed that his first child, a baby girl, died years ago because of “poverty” and “inadequate medical care.”
Recalling the incident, he said he could not afford a coffin and buried her in a wooden drinks crate.
“My first child is not Malik. The first child I had died. She was buried in a crate of Coke, the old wooden crate of Coke,” he explained.
Now a father of three surviving children, Chatta often reflects on how the loss of his daughter deepened his bond with them, especially with his only daughter, Awawu, whom he cherishes greatly.