The tribute offers a rare glimpse into the private marriage of a Nollywood star whose personal life remained largely out of public view.
Days after the actor Alex Ekubo was buried in his hometown, Arochukwu, Abia State, a tribute by his wife, Anwuli Amakom, published in the burial programme, has surfaced online.
Following his demise, his family disclosed that the actor died at Evercare Hospital following complications arising from advanced metastatic kidney cancer.
The weeklong funeral rites for the actor included a wake held last Wednesday, as well as a funeral service and internment held on Thursday.
Before his demise, little was publicly known about the late actor’s marital status despite his prominence in Nollywood.
His wife’s identity first came into public view during the funeral rites, when tributes were released at the service of songs and burial ceremonies, identifying Anwuli Amakom as his widow.
The tribute, published in the burial programme, has attracted attention for offering one of the first detailed accounts of the actor’s private life and marriage.
In her tribute, Ms Anwuli, the Executive Director of NOG Oil and Gas Limited, recalled the fond memories they shared, including his nicknames for her.
“Before there was Pookie, before there was Pookstar, there was Asa, Asa Ikuku, one of the very first names you gave me, and there was Nwa. The name somehow became home.
“When my mother passed a year ago, you were my anchor. You held me together during a season where something felt heavy. Your love gave me the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other,” she wrote.
According to her, if love could be measured in little things, the late Alex would be impossible to quantify.
“It was in the details you carefully recorded, the things people mentioned once and forgot. I treasure the notes you left for me around the house. I would find your notes tucked into drawers, on mirrors, beside my things, hidden in places only I would think to leave them. Little messages from my Dadaa to his nwa. Sometimes sweet, sometimes just a simple reminder that I was loved,” she added.
Describing their marriage as a faith journey in so many ways, the late Alex’s widow recalled how they prayed together and trusted God and his promises.
According to her, no conversation was ever too ordinary for prayer.
“You spent your life trusting God. You pointed so many people back to him, including me. Dadaa, you mattered. To so many people, in so many ways. And that is why this loss feels enormous. But grief is not the end of your story. I know heaven welcomed you with the same joy you brought to so many of us, and I know God’s beloved son has come home.
“Being your wife was the greatest honour. I will always be forever grateful that, of all people in the world, I was the one who got to share this life with you and having your love is one of the greatest gifts God has ever given me. I hope you always knew how deeply I loved you, Dadaa. I thought I understood the depth of that love while you were here,” she added.
The tribute has since sparked reactions online, with many fans expressing surprise at the revelation of the actor’s marriage.
It has also provided a rare glimpse into the private life of a man who spent years in the public eye yet kept much of it away from public scrutiny.
