Veteran Nollywood actor and film executive Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, known across generations as Olu Jacobs, has died at 84. His son, Olusoji Jacobs, announced the passing on Instagram on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
The family statement was short, solemn, and final.
“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.”
Olusoji also asked the public to stand back.
“We call on all bloggers and social media influencers to respect our families privacy at this time.”
That request follows years of false death rumours that repeatedly forced the family to prove he was still alive.
Jacobs was one of the towering figures of Nigerian stage and screen. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England and first built a career in Britain, appearing in repertoire theatre, television productions and international films before returning home and becoming a pillar of Nollywood. He later co-founded the Lufodo Group with his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, spanning production, distribution and actor training.
His honours matched the stature. He won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2007, received the Industry Merit Award at the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, and collected a lifetime achievement honour in 2016. In 2011, he was conferred with the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic.
The couple’s marriage was one of the industry’s longest public partnerships. Joke Silva has often spoken of meeting him on set when she did not yet grasp how famous he already was. She has also credited him with protecting her professional name.
Two months before his death, the family marked his 84th birthday, but in recent years Jacobs had withdrawn from public life. Joke Silva disclosed in 2021 that he was living with Lewy body dementia, a fact that made every new rumour about his death especially cruel to the family.