The family of popular Nigerian actor Alexx Ikenna Ekubo-Okwaraeke has announced his death, confirming that the award-winning star died at the age of 40 due to complications from advanced metastatic kidney cancer.
In an official statement released on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the late actor’s family conveyed the passing of their “beloved Husband, Son, Brother, and Friend” with profound sadness.
The statement noted that the actor, widely known as Alex Ekubo, passed away at Evercare Hospital in Lagos after a “brief but courageous battle” with the disease.
“Throughout this difficult journey, he bore his pain with remarkable strength, unwavering faith, and enduring hope, believing that one day his testimony would be shared with the world,” the family said.
The Ekubo-Okwaraeke family also appealed for privacy and prayers during this painful period, adding that further details regarding funeral arrangements would be communicated later.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
