When Alexx Ekubo passed away on Monday, May 11, at a Lagos hospital after battling kidney cancer, he left behind more than grief — he left behind broken promises, unfinished conversations, and a family trip that will never happen. Now, his sister-in-law Ify Ekubo is speaking out, and her words are impossible to read without feeling the weight of what was lost.
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| Ify Ekubo, sister-in-law of the late Alexx Ekubo, shared a heartbreaking tribute on social media. Photo: Ify Ekubo/Instagram |
Ify's tribute wasn't a quiet farewell. It was raw, honest, and deeply human — the kind of grief that doesn't perform, it just pours out. She didn't just mourn him. She told him exactly how she felt, and the internet felt every word.
"Ikebobo m!!!! Chaiii!!! Words fail me!!! You didn't do well this time around. I hope you're seeing this message. Look how the world is hurting. You left without saying goodbye."
The phone call he never returned
According to Ify, she and Alexx had spoken shortly before his birthday. He promised to call her back after their conversation. That call never came. What she thought was a routine exchange turned out to be the last time they ever spoke.
She wrote:
"You told me you will call me back after our phone conversation before your birthday. So that was it?!"
It is the kind of detail that breaks you — not a grand gesture left unfulfilled, but an ordinary moment frozen in time. A callback that became a goodbye neither of them knew they were saying.
The June trip to Houston that will never happen
The second promise cuts even deeper. Alexx and Ify had real plans — a joint family itinerary scheduled for June in Houston, Texas. Something to look forward to. Something that was supposed to happen in just weeks from now.
She wrote:
"We had a lot to finish up!! Plans for June in Houston! Ikebobo you did this to me! I am upset! I am not happy Ikenna!"
That trip will not happen now. And everything it represented — laughter, togetherness, the ordinary gift of time with someone you love — is gone with it. Ify admitted she still had many things left unsaid and unfinished with the actor, making his sudden departure even harder to process.
"This is not fair" — the children who lost their mentor
Beyond her own grief, Ify spoke about what this loss means for her children, who looked up to Alexx Ekubo as far more than just an uncle. He was their mentor, their guide, their elder brother figure.
She wrote:
"You were a mentor to my children and their elder brother. They miss you! They miss their uncle. This is not fair!"
That word — unfair — says everything. There is no preparing children for a loss like this. There is no softening the blow of an uncle who was supposed to be there for June, and for every June after that.
Nollywood and fans respond with grief
The tribute sparked an overwhelming wave of emotion across social media, with fans and colleagues sharing their own heartbreak:
- @funnyboneofficial: "I remember meeting you and your family in Calgary for the new yam festival. Take heart Nne.. it is well."
- @ikeoluwa.adekanbi: "There's no doubt Alexx was loved at home. He was loved by all! We're going to miss him. I just wished this didn't happen at all. But I believe he's in a better place now. Rest well, Alexx."
- @imma_runnit2_da_top: "Ever since I've been seeing posts about him, this morning I eventually cried. I tried holding myself but the song on this post and Alexx's smile made me cry."
A life taken too soon
Alexx Ekubo was more than a Nollywood star. He was a brother, an uncle, a mentor, and a man who made plans for June in Houston. He was someone people expected to call back. Someone who left without saying goodbye — not because he wanted to, but because life gave him no warning either.
Ify's words will stay with anyone who reads them. Not because they are dramatic, but because they are real. They are what grief actually sounds like.
Rest well, Alexx Ekubo.
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