Nollywood actor Benedict Johnson is currently undergoing medical care for an undisclosed health condition that requires surgery, the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has confirmed.
Abubakar Yakubu, president of the guild, confirmed the development on Saturday while addressing concerns sparked by a viral video showing Johnson inside an MRI scanning machine.
The video had triggered widespread speculation about the actor’s health.
Yakubu said the guild is fully aware of Johnson’s condition and is committed to supporting him through the medical process.
“Yes he is ill. Actually, he is actually ill. And requires surgery. The guild is aware and we are lending all our full support to ensure that he undergoes this surgery,” he said.
Johnson, who studied Mass Communication at Abia State University, Uturu, began his acting journey with the pioneering Nollywood film “Living In Bondage” and later featured in “Stolen Bible.” Before venturing into acting, he pursued music in 1988 and recorded his first demo between 1989 and 1990 before leaving his group, The Dready Boys.
In March, the actor opened up about a difficult phase in his career, revealing that he spent five years without landing any acting role.
He said no filmmaker reached out to him during that period, a situation that led him to relocate to Abuja to attend prayer programmes organised by Jerry Eze, despite warnings from colleagues that the city was not ideal for film production.