By John Michael Ojo
The Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, was on Saturday thrown into mourning following the death of Leo Mezie as a result of complications he suffered from kidney transplant.
Chioma Toplis who disclosed this while informing other colleagues and friends of Leo Mezie through her Instagram account on Sunday night has now revealed the scenario which led to Mezie’s death.
In a post on her Instagram account on Tuesday, the actress alleged that Leo took advantage of his ill-health to obtain financial favour from his colleagues and clerics and never used the fund for its intended purpose.
She also stated that the deceased’s actions led to his abandonment by some of his colleagues even though he was able to secure funding for this kidney transplant through the help of his family members.
Sharing a picture of the late actor on her Instagram account, she took to the caption section stating, “This is for people saying that Nollywood didn’t help Leo when he was alive/ill. Or blaming Nollywood for his death. In 2016 Money was contributed to his surgery including the huge some that Apostle gave him. He came to London with his then-wife for the surgery. I and another actress who was in London contacted him so we could visit him in the hospital but he did not allow us to come to see him. Months later he came back and didn’t look like someone that had such major surgery.
“He organised a huge thanksgiving service at the Apostle’s church where he said that he was miraculously healed. That his failed kidneys were revived in London and the doctors there said that he didn’t need surgery. People questioned who then diagnosed him and booked the surgery for which money was donated?
“He continued living his normal life. News broke through Actress Chioma Okoye’s foundation that he was ill again and needed donations. Money was contributed to an extent before he asked the foundation to give him the money. The quarrel started between him and the foundation. They said it was not in their agreement, that they don’t give or contribute to individual accounts. At this point, a lot of people lost interest. Even the AGN President Emeka came into that matter then to make sure it was resolved. A lot of actors posted and solicited funds for him too.”
She continued, “So all these comment-seyy people (keyboard warriors) talking down on the Actors Guild I believe they were not aware of the story of Leo and his health or they just want to give a dog a bad name to kill it.
“Like I said a lot of people lost interest in his case even the Apostle that helped him the most. The plain truth is that he was enjoying the money he was making out of his illness. His wife left him and relocated to the US when she got a visa.
“His family and extended family took over and helped him with dialysis, and raised the N17m for the transplant which was done about a week ago. Yes, he has family members, about three of them who live in the US. Unfortunately, he died on Saturday and his corpse was moved to Umuahia on Sunday. RIP Leo.”
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