The year 2022 may have come and gone but its memories still linger and will do for a very long time on the minds of Nigerians, especially those who lost loved ones during the year.
Find below a list of celebrities and Very Important Personalities (VIPs) who died from January to December 2022.
January 2022
Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji
The death of a first-class Yoruba traditional ruler, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, was announced a day after the celebration of New Year. Although the monarch died at the ripe age of 93, he would greatly be missed by his people. He was the 41st ruler of the ancient city.
According to reports, he died at the University College Hospital, Ibadan in the early hours of a Sunday, January, 2022.
Actor Sidney Poitier
Days after the death of Olubadan, award-winning American actor, film director, and diplomat, Sidney Poitier, was also reported dead. He died on January 6 at the age of 93.
Reports said he was the first black actor and the first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Ex-Head of ING, Ernest Shonekan
The death of the former Head of the Interim National Government (ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan, brought back the memory of the June 12, 1993 election to many.
Shonekan passed on January 11, 2022, at 85.
The former head of the ING had succeeded former military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and piloted the affairs of the country between August 26 and November 17, 1993, when he was eased out by the military junta led by the late Gen. Sani Abacha.
Before his eventual death in January, little was heard of him. He died of natural causes in his residence in Lekki, Lagos.
Ex-Mali President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (IBK), the former President of Mali died on January 16 at the age of 76.
Reports said two years ago, he suffered a minor stroke but the cause of his death was not immediately clear. He died at his home in the nation’s capital city, Bamako.
Keïta led Mali for seven years before he was ousted in a coup in 2020 after huge anti-government protests over his handling of jihadist unrest.
Keïta was involved in politics for more than three decades, serving as a socialist prime minister from 1994 to 2000. February
February 2022
Actor Tafa Oloyede
Yoruba actor, John Adewuni (popularly called Tafa Oloyede) died at his residence in Osogbo on February 1, at the age of 69.
The Theater Arts and Motion Pictures Producers Association of Nigeria, Osun chapter, organised a concert to honour the late Adewunmi on Thursday, February 10.
The late actor’s body was laid to rest in his hometown of Ede, Osun, on Friday, February 11.
Author Ashley Bryan
Ashley Bryan, American children’s illustrator and author, died on February 4 at the age of 98.
Bryan created stories centered on African and African American folktales.
He died at the home of his niece.
Reports said that after his last birthday on July 13, 2021, he “continued to recite poetry from his vast repertoire – especially Shakespeare’s sonnets – up to the very end.”
Pastor Ezekiel Atang
Known in the fold of Pentecostal churches as a family life coach, Pastor Ezekiel Atang died at the age of 49.
His death was announced on February 21, three weeks before his 50th birthday.
Until his death, he was the founder and Senior Pastor of God’s House Of Refuge in Nigeria.
Actor Romanus Amuta (Natty)
Nollywood also lost veteran Romanus ‘Natty’ Amuta. His February 9th, 2022 death was due to a protracted illness, according to his son.
Natty died at 79 in a Lagos hospital. He broke into the limelight for his role as “Natty” in the television sitcom ‘New Masquerade’. He also starred in movies like Lion Ginger, and Eagle’s Bride among others.
Actor Ojulari Williams
Ojulari Williams, who many preferred to call Lari Williams, was one of the finest Nigerian actors ever. Aside from appearing in some Nigerian TV dramas, he was never a stranger to some Nollywood movies.
He died 27 February 2022 at 81.
During his lifetime, Williams earned the prestigious national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2008.
He was the inaugural president of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and had a career that spanned over five decades.
He featured in famous soap operas like ‘The Village Headmaster’, ‘Ripples’, and ‘Mirror in the Sun’.
He died at his home in Ikom, Cross River State.
March 2022
Gospel Singer, Chinedu Nwadike
Chinedu Nwadike, the Imo-born Gospel singer, who was known for his hit song ‘God of Vengeance’, died on March 27th in Abuja.
The 39-year-old “Okwu Gbajie Aka” crooner was reportedly said to have recovered from kidney disease and was scheduled for further medical treatment in India before he died.
Chinedu was a dancer for another gospel singer Gozie Okeke until he started his singing career. He was also an actor and featured in several Nollywood movies.
He was survived by a wife, Dorah Nwadike, and three children.
Publisher Emeka Obasi
Maverick publisher, Chief Emeka Obasi, aside from being popular among the political class, was also well known in the circle of journalists in Nigeria.
Obasi was the publisher of the defunct Hallmark and Mirror newspapers before the latter was sold to Jimoh Ibrahim. He also published Business Hallmark.
Announcing his death, a family member, in a terse press statement, confirmed that he had passed on March 15.
According to a statement issued by Emeka Obasi (Jnr) on behalf of the family, the publisher died at a Lagos hospital.
“He is survived by his wife, Dr (Mrs) Betty Obasi, and Children – Emeka (Jnr), Onyedikachi, Kamsi, Miracle, siblings, aunties, and uncles.
Ex-US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright
The 64th United States Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, died in Washington, DC on March 23 at the age of 84.
She served under Bill Clinton as an ambassador before becoming America’s first woman Secretary of State.
She was born in Prague in 1937.
Dejo Tunfulu
For the entire Yoruba movies industry, the news of Dejo Tunfulu’s death was truly a hard pill to swallow.
The comic actor, whose real name is Kunle Tokunbo, died on March 31. Fans, family members, and colleagues in the movie industry took to social media to pay their tributes.
Tokunbo was known for such Yoruba movie titles as ‘Hally The Drummer’ (2016) and ‘Jide Jendo’.
April 2022
Ex-Nigerian referee, Festus Okubule
One of Nigeria’s respected ex- referees Festus Okubule died on April 5, 2022.
He was 80.
According to her daughter, Sola Taiwo, the former referee breathed his last at aroun
d 5:50 pm on the fateful day.
He refereed several domestic matches, as well as international matches across the length and breadth of Africa.
Gospel Singer Osinachi Nwachukwu
The death of Osinachi Nwachukwu, a Nigerian gospel musician, devastated many, especially Christians.
Her hit song, ‘Ekwueme,’ where she featured Prospa Ochimana, had shot her into the limelight.
The news of her death was made public on April 8. She was aged 42. It was alleged that Osinachi died as a result of domestic violence. Her husband Peter Nwachukwu was arrested in connection with her death and is still facing trial at the Abuja high court.
Initial reports said she was battling throat cancer before her death, but her family has since denied it.
Many Nigerians, especially Christians, reacted with sorrow and anger to the news of her death.
Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, was until he joined his ancestors one of the most influential rulers in Yorubaland.
He joined his ancestors on April 23 at the age of 83.
Report said he passed-on at the Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
He was the longest reigning Alaafin, having reigned for 51 years.
Report said he had been indisposed for a while and there was a plan to fly him abroad before he passed on.
May 2022
Senator Arthur Nzeribe
Former Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe (represented Orlu Senatorial constituency) in Imo State died on May 8 at the age of 83.
He was an accomplished lawyer.
According to reports, the septuagenarian had a domestic accident affecting his hip and was hospitalised in Abuja for 10 days, undergoing surgery.
Actor Gbenga Richards
Gbenga Richards was one of the toasts of producers in Nigeria in the 1990s and 2000s. He featured in most of the Nigerian popular soap operas and Nollywood films.
Reports said he had been battling with an unknown ailment and eventually passed on May 12.
At a point, he was in limbo until he resurfaced again to appeal for money for the treatment of his ailment.
Richards’ first appearance as an actor was to represent Nigeria with Hubert Ogunde at the Second World Black and African Festival of African Culture (FESTAC) in 1977.
He also featured in blockbuster movies like ‘Sango’, ‘Mirror in the Sun’, ‘Betrayal by Love’, ‘Fighting Machine’ and a host of others.
Actor Leo Mezie
Leo Mezie was one the glamorous faces of Nollywood. Until he died early this year, he was said to have had a kidney transplant four years ago before another one he had recently.
He died May 14 at the age of 46.
One of his colleagues, Nollywood actress, Chioma Toplis broke the news of Mezie’s death via her Instagram page.
“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.
Cardinal Angelo
Cardinal Angelo rose to become No 2 in the Vatican.
He died on May 27 at the age of 74.
Cardinal Sodano served as secretary of state, the second-highest-ranking position in the Vatican after the pope, for 16 years.
His tenure covered a good portion of the pontificate of John Paul II, who once described him as “my first and precious collaborator.” As Parkinson’s disease and other ailments debilitated John Paul II, Cardinal Sodano, along with the pope’s private secretary.
July 2022
Publisher Akanni Aluko
The publisher of the defunct Third Eye Newspapers, Chief Akanni Aluko, died on Friday, July 1, 2022.
Aluko would have turned 79 on July 22, 2022.
He died at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State after a prolonged battle with stroke.
Aluko, a Geologist, was a native of Ilesha, Osun State.
Nura Waye
Nura Waye, the famous Kannywood movie director, passed away on July 1 at his home.
The director was said to have gone to bed hale and hearty the night before but died in his sleep.
His death elicited tributes from Kannywood fans and actors.
Ex-Japanese PM Shinzo Abe
Former Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2006 to 2007, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated on 8 July, 2022.
He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history.
Abe was said to have been shot twice at a political campaign event.
Reports said he was in the process of giving a speech when a gunman attacked him from behind.
He died at the age of 67.
Ex-US President’s wife, Ivana Trump
Ivana Trump, the first wife of Donald Trump, also died July 14 at the age of 73 at her home in Manhattan.
She rose to prominence as a celebrity and real estate investor in the 1980s and was the mother of his three eldest children.
Donald Trump, former American President, announced her death in a post on Truth Social, the social media outlet he launched.
Reports said Mrs. Trump was found unconscious on a staircase in her East 64th Street home near Central Park after police received an emergency call at 12:40 p.m. and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Actress Ada Ameh
When the news of the death of Ada Ameh broke on July 17, many had thought it was an old story being recycled by bloggers. It did not take long before a close relation of the vivacious ‘Domitila’ star confirmed that Ameh had passed on.
She became prominent after she featured in Domitila, a 1996 Nigerian film about four prostitutes. Before her death, she was more prominent on ‘The Johnsons’, a TV family programme.
Some hours before she died, she was said to have shared a video on her Instagram page where she and her family went to visit one of the top shots at the NNPC.
Actress Sola Onayiga
Another veteran Nollywood actress, Sola Awojobi Onayiga, died on July 18.
The gap-toothed actress was popular for playing Ireti in the now-defunct family drama, Fuji House of Commotion.
Ngozi Nwosu and Jude Orhorha, who co-starred in the drama series and fans of the show, mourned the late Onayiga.
Ex-Phillipine President, Fidel Valdez Ramos
Former Philippine President Fidel Valdez Ramos, 94, died July 31.
He was 94.
The cause of his death “was not immediately clear.”
He died on Sunday, July 31, 2022 at the Makati Medical Center in metropolitan Manila, Legaspi.
Ramos won the 1992 presidential election and became the largely Roman Catholic nation’s first Protestant president.
August 2022
Australian Actress and Singer Olivia Newton-John
Australian actress and singer Olivia Newton-John, the star of “Grease” and a pop sensation in the 1970s and 1980s, died on Aug. 8 at the age of 73.
She won four Grammy Awards and sold over 100 million records.
While few details about her passing were made public, the English-born singer confirmed in September 2018 that she was treating cancer in her spine.
Novelist Biyi Bandele
Biyi Bandele, a Nigerian novelist, playwright, director of Half of a Yellow Sun and co-director of Blood Sisters, a Nigerian series, died on Sunday, August 17, 2022.
He was laid to rest in Lagos on Friday, September 23, 2022.
The ceremony was low-key and was attended by the late filmmaker’s family and close associates.
Former Soviet Union leader, Mikhail Gorbachev
Former Soviet Union leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, died at the age of 91 on August 30.
He died at Moscow Central Clinical Hospital, Russia.
He served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985-1991.
Gorbachev held many positions and eventually became the Secretary-General of the Soviet Union in 1985.
He also became the youngest ever to hold that position.
His most notable actions in this role were the Glasnost and Perestroika policies.
Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.
September 2022
Journalist Bernard Shaw
Bernard Shaw, until his retirement from the Cable News Network (CNN) February 28, 2001 served as chief anchor of the station for two decades.
He won many awards as a journalist and would be remembered for calmly reporting the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991 as missiles flew around him in Baghdad.
Shaw died September 7, 2022 at 82.
Prior to his time at CNN, he was a reporter and anchor for WNUS, Westinghouse Broadcasting, CBS News, and ABC News.
Shaw covered some of the landmark stories of the last three decades, including the student uprising in Tiananmen Square in 1989, the 1994 California earthquake, the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and the 2000 presidential race.
Queen Elizabeth II
The year 2022 will be remembered as the year that the Queen of England passed on.
Before she eventually passed on, there had been rumours of her health and passage which always turned out to be a hoax.
She reigned for 70 years, making Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, and died at the age of 96 years.
The late British monarch was said to have died at 3:10 p.m. UK time (10:10 a.m. ET) on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Ballater, Scotland.
The cause of death was listed as old age. Queen Elizabeth was buried beside her husband Prince Phillip on September 19, 2022, following a private ceremony in Windsor bringing an end to day of events in her honour.
Her burial attracted world leaders including the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor, Yemi Osinbanjo.
Rapper Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. a.k.a. Coolio, an ex-member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle, was one of the leading rap artistes in the 1990s.
He died on September 28 at the age of 59.
The rapper was among hip-hop’s biggest names of the 1990s with hits including “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage.”
Artis Leon Ivey Jr., known professionally as Coolio, was an American rapper.
Coolio died without a will in place.
October 2022
Ex-PDP Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor
Former Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor died on October 6, 2022, in Canada. He was aged 73.
He was reputed to have boasted that the PDP would rule for 60 years, a declaration truncated by the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the 2015 presidential poll.
He was formerly National Secretary of the PDP and assumed office as the National Chairman of the party on March 8, 2008.
Ex-BBNaija Star, Rico Swavey
Patrick Fakoya a.k.a. Rico Swavey was part of Big brother Naija season 3 “Double Wahala” edition won by Miracle Igbokwe.
Reports said Rico was involved in an auto crash on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, and died on Thursday, October 13, 2022.
A night of tribute and candlelight walk held in his honour at Retro Citi, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.
A private service was held at the Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu Square, on Thursday before his burial at Ebony Vaults, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Davido’s son, Ifeanyi Adeleke
The death of Ifeanyi Adeleke, the son of Nigeria’s pop star, David Adeleke, was probably one of the stories that trended the most in the outgoing year.
The young Adeleke died on October 31, 2022 at the age of three after he allegedly drowned in a swimming pool at his father’s home in the Banana Island Area of Lagos State.
According to reports, the parents had left town and dropped the three-year-old boy in the custody of a nanny in the house.
Following the death of Ifeanyi, the nanny and all domestic staff in the house were detained by the police for questioning.
The artiste had since remained underground excerpt for his performance at the closing ceremony of the just concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
November 2022
Ex-Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi
Chief Mbazulike Amechi, a former First Republic Minister of Aviation and elder statesman died on November 1, 2022, at the age of 93 years.
The nonagenarian who was known and respected for seeking peace in the Nigerian state led a delegation of Igbo elders to President Muhammadu Buhari to plead for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Gospel Singer, Sammie Okposo
The death of Nigerian singer and ‘welu welu’ crooner, Sam Okposo, came as a shock to many Nigerians.
Okposo, 51, died on Friday, November 25 in Lagos after he reportedly slumped while he was being treated for exhaustion.
Okposo’s last Instagram post was 22 hours before his demise. It was a video of his praise party tagged SOPP live in Lagos, which was held on Friday, November 4, 2022.
The late singer was slated to minister, alongside other gospel singers, Eben, Chuks Praise, Joy Favour, and Victor Edit, at the Outpouring Assembly International in Calabar between Friday, November 25 and Sunday, November 27.
Before his death, he made peace with his estranged wife, Ozioma, taking to his Instagram page to apologise to her after cheating on her with another woman in the United States in 2021.
December 2022
Ambassador Demola Seriki
The news of Ademola Seriki’s demise shocked many Lagosians, especially his political associates.
Since he was posted to Spain as Nigeria’s ambassador, not much was heard about him in the social circle.
According to a statement by his children, he passed away in Madrid, Spain in the early hours of Thursday, December 15 surrounded by his family.
He died at the age of 63.
Seriki served from 2008 to 2009 as the Minister of State for Defence.
He attended Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he completed a Senior Executive Education and earned a certificate in National and International Security. Seriki was the senatorial candidate for Lagos Central Senatorial District on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in 1992.
He was also elected as a member of the House of Representatives from the Lagos Island federal constituency on the ticket of the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in 1998.
Max Air Vice Chairman, Bashir Manga
Max Air Vice Chairman Bashir Manga died on Friday, December 23. He was aged 65.
A statement announcing his death read in part: “This is to announce the death of our beloved brother Alhaji Bashir Barau Mangal, Vice Chairman/CEO Max Air, in the early hours of today Friday 23rd December 2022. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus.”
He was described as “a man with a high entrepreneurial spirit, having come from a renowned Bangal family of Katsina, who are well known for their diligence in business and patriotism in nation-building.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Prof. George Obiozor
The death of George Obiozor, one of the respected Igbo leaders, is likely to create a vacuum in the leadership of Igbo people.
He was until his death a well-respected President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex-socio-cultural organisation of Igbo people.
He died at the age of 80 years.
His death was announced in a press statement by the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma.
“On behalf of the Government of Imo State, I, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, the Executive Governor of Imo State, sorrowfully announce the passage of a great son of Imo State and Nigeria, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prof George Obiozor,” he said in the statement.
Uzodinma described the late Igbo leader as “an exceptional diplomat and a tenacious patriot.”
According to a report, the announcement has ended days of speculation about the death of Obiozor, who was reported to have died earlier in the week at his residence in Imo State.
Brazilian football legend, Pele
Brazilian football legend, Pele, died on Thursday, December 29 at the age of 82.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele achieved as a teenager what many could not achieve as adults.
He won the World Cup as a 17-year-old teenager; played in four World Cups and is the only player in history to win three.
Before he was admitted to a hospital in São Paulo in late November for a respiratory infection and for complications related to colon cancer last week, he had been in and out of the hospital, receiving treatment for cancer.
The hospital where he was admitted had earlier announced that his health had worsened as his cancer progressed.
He was confirmed dead on Thursday. He died from multiple organ failure due to the progression of colon cancer, according to a statement from Albert Einstein Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil.
Pelé had been receiving treatment for cancer in recent years, and he entered the hospital several weeks ago for treatment of a variety of health issues, including a respiratory infection.
TV Personality, Barbara Walters
Television personality Barbara Walters passed away on Dec. 30 aged 93.
Walters was on the air for over half a century in various roles, after making headlines in 1976 as the first female network news anchor when the joined ABC News.
She became a frequent contributor to ABC’s news magazine “20/20,” and, in 1984, became co-host.
Decades later, in May 2014, she taped her final episode of “The View,” a daytime talk show in which a panel of women discuss the latest news headlines.
Her spokesperson said she passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Former Pope Benedict XVI died at his Vatican residence on Saturday, December 31, 2022.
He died at the age of 95 and cause of death is attributed to old age. His death came almost a decade after he stood down because of ailing health.
He led the Catholic Church for less than eight years until, in 2013; he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.
Benedict spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican.
The Vatican said in a statement: “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.
His body was placed in St Peter’s Basilica from 2 January for “the greeting of the faithful”.