Veteran Nollywood actor Pete Uwadiegwu Ogugua Edochie has once again dismissed rumours of his death, describing the recurring claims as baseless and frustrating.
The latest hoax, which surfaced earlier this week, falsely alleged that the revered actor had been rushed to hospital and passed away, with claims that his son, Uche Edochie, had confirmed the news on Instagram. The report quickly gained traction online, adding to a long list of similar false stories that have trailed the actor for over a decade.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Vanguard on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the 78-year-old screen legend firmly debunked the claims.
“I’m alive and will die when my maker calls me home,” Edochie said.
Popularly known as Ebubedike, Edochie expressed exasperation over what he described as repeated attempts to “kill” him through misinformation. According to him, this is at least the seventh time such rumours have circulated.
“I have been killed about seven times,” he said. “There was a time they said I travelled abroad and died there. At other times, they said that the plane I boarded from Enugu to Ethiopia suddenly crashed and I didn’t survive.”
He recounted another incident when his wife received an early morning phone call from someone claiming he had died. “There was also a day my wife woke up to prepare for church service when her telephone rang and the caller said he heard that I passed away that morning,” he added.
Edochie also recalled that last year, someone in Ghana alleged that he had already been buried.
Despite the repeated false alarms, the respected actor remains active and in good health. He is widely celebrated for his contributions to the Nigerian film industry and has received numerous honours, including the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) Industry Merit Award.
Reflecting on the death rumours, Edochie shared a lesson he said he learned from Nigeria’s late statesman, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
“There was something late Nnamdi Azikiwe taught me when I interviewed him,” he said. “He said that anybody who is wishing you death will die before you. All those people that wished Zik death died before him. That was what I learnt from Zik.”
The actor, who turns 79 on March 7, also credited his family’s history of longevity for his vitality.
“My father died at 96, so we have longevity in my family,” he noted.
