‘It hurts my heart’ – Patience Ozokwo on missing Olu Jacobs’ funeral

For Patience Ozokwo, saying goodbye to Olu Jacobs from a distance is a painful experience she would rather not have had to endure.

The veteran actress is currently in Ghana filming with Kumawood star Lil Win, making it impossible for her to return to Nigeria to join the Nollywood community in paying its final respects to one of its most celebrated legends.

In an emotional tribute, Ozokwo said it deeply hurts her that she cannot be physically present at Jacobs’ funeral, admitting that she would give anything to be in Nigeria at such a significant moment.

“It hurts my heart that I am not physically present in Nigeria today to pay my last respects to the great legend, Olu Jacobs,” she wrote.

Ozokwo explained that her absence was not a choice, but the result of contractual obligations tied to the ongoing production in Ghana.

She said she wished circumstances had allowed her to put everything aside and make the journey home for the funeral, but her professional commitments have kept her in Ghana.

“I would give anything to be there at this moment, but contractual obligations will not allow me to be,” she said.

The pain of missing the farewell is particularly poignant for Ozokwo, who belongs to the generation of actors that witnessed and contributed to the growth of Nollywood alongside towering figures such as Jacobs.

Although she cannot stand among her colleagues in Lagos, Ozokwo said her heart and thoughts are firmly with Jacobs’ family, friends and the many industry colleagues gathered to honour him.

“My heart and thoughts are with you all,” she wrote, while praying that the funeral proceedings would go peacefully.

She also expressed hope that the legacy Jacobs built through decades of work would continue to live on, describing his contribution to the film industry as one that cannot simply be buried with him.

Ozokwo concluded her tribute with a simple but deeply emotional farewell to the actor, whose career left an enduring mark on Nigerian cinema.