Unlike previous false alarms about his death, this announcement was shared directly by his wife, Joke Silva, alongside their son.
Veteran Nigerian actor and film executive Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has died at the age of 84.
His death was announced in the early hours of Wednesday, 16 September 2026, by his family. Olusoji Jacobs, the actor’s son, shared the news in a post on Instagram, expressing gratitude to God “for a life well lived and fought” and asking bloggers and social media users to give the family space to grieve.
“It is with gratitude to God for a life well lived and fought, that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, grandfather and uncle.
The Lion of Lufodo,” he wrote. “Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs (MFR) 11/07/1942–16/09/2026. We call on all bloggers and social media influencers to respect our families privacy at this time.”
The cause of death was not disclosed.
Olu Jacobs career from London stage
Born in 1942 to parents from Egba Alake, Jacobs grew up in Kano, where he attended Holy Trinity School and joined the debating and drama societies.
A Hubert Ogunde concert party performance at the Colonial Hotel in Kano sparked his interest in acting, prompting him to travel to England to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
One of his earliest stage roles was playing The Boy in “A Taste of Honey” at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 1972.
He went on to appear in several British television shows through the 1970s, including “The Goodies,” “Till Death Us Do Part” and “Barlow at Large.”
In 1978, he played President Mageeba in Michael Codron’s production of Tom Stoppard’s play “Night and Day.”
Returning to Nigeria and building a Nollywood legacy
Olu Jacobs returned to Nigeria in 1990 and starred in the NTA detective series “The Third Eye.” He went on to feature in hundreds of Nollywood films over more than three decades, earning a reputation as one of the industry’s most distinguished talents.
He won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), received an Icon Award from the Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) in 2022, and was honoured with the Industry Merit Award at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) for outstanding achievements in acting.
Olu Jacobs married actress Joke Silva in 1989, and the couple had two children.
A history of false death rumours, and confirmation this time
Olu Jacobs had, in the years before his death, repeatedly been the subject of false death rumours.
On 30 June 2024, reports that he had died circulated widely, prompting an outpouring of tributes before Joke Silva shared a video showing him very much alive, with actress Kate Henshaw also publicly debunking the claim.
Similar rumours had circulated in 2020, attributed by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) to “mischief-makers,” and again in 2021 and 2022 after Silva disclosed his declining health, prompting her to threaten legal action against those spreading the false reports.
This latest announcement, however, has been directly confirmed by Silva alongside their son, and has since drawn tributes from public figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who described Jacobs as “an institution, a cultural icon and one of the finest ambassadors of our creative spirit.”
