Sam Loco Efe Dead

Sam Loco Efe, the popular Nollywood actor and comedian whose career help jumpstart the famous Nollywood movie industry in Nigeria is dead.

Sam died today in his hotel room at Rapour Hotel, Amakaohai along Orlu road in Owerri, Imo state shortly after returning from location. He was 66.

The
news was received with shock
yesterday by fans who said they
would miss the late actor’s comic
roles.
Some of his fans even doubted if he
was truly dead, as he was said to
have been similarly rumoured dead a
few years back, only for him to
bounce back hale and hearty.
Loco died at Rappour Hotels, Owerri
in his sleep. He reportedly checked
into Room 204 at the weekend. Imo
State Commissioner of Police, Mr
Mohammed Abubakar confirmed the
incident saying that the late actor
was reportedly ill for the whole of last
week and that his remains have been
deposited at the Aladinma Hospital
Mortuary, Owerri.
But the news of his death filtered
round Lagos and other major cities
yesterday, following repeated radio
announcements and a report by an
online newspaper. Hundreds of his
fans on Facebook equally mourned
him, while many said they would
forever miss Loco, who was one of
the best actors the country has ever
produced.
Until his death, Loco remained one of
the most talented actors of
contemporary Nigerian theatre. For
many years, he distinguished himself
as a rare talent for both television
and stage drama.
Loco hails from Benin in Edo State.
He once said people misplaced his
background, thinking that his
surname; Efe, gave him away as a
Delta man. He had explained that Efe
was a Benin name, although the
Urhobo popularised it. His words: ‘Efe
means wealth in Benin and in
Urhobo, but it means cloth in Igbo.
My surname is fully pronounced
Efeeimwonkiyeke, meaning ‘wealth
has no time limit.’
One can be wealthy at 90 when
people must have lost hope. What
actually happened was that my
grandmother was having only female
children and after so many years,
she gave birth to my father at an old
age and when he arrived, the name
given to him was “you see now my
wealth has finally arrived.” I later
inherited this from my father as I was
the last of my parents’ children and
the only male child’.
Born in Enugu, the late Sam Loco
spent his childhood in Abakaliki, now
Ebonyi State capital. His modest
attempt at becoming an actor
triggered his passion for the stage.
He once told his story: ‘There was a
time, Government College, Umuahia
came to Abakaliki with a production.
We all got so excited and I said to
myself that if these men can stay on
stage before a large audience and
render their lines without looking into
any book or script, there must be
something magical about it.
A few bold ones among us asked
them some questions after the
production and they said it was a
matter of training and perseverance.
So, when they left, I attempted a
play that was larger than our
collegiate level. I decided to produce
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. I
acted Caesar and also directed it
without any formal training,’Sam
Loco said.
Popularly known as a comedian cum
actor, Sam Loco Efe was said to
have quit smoking and drinking, after
indulging in the act for 48years of his
life. The Edo State Born thespian,
who started drinking and smoking on
October 1, 1960 turned his back on
the ‘twin devils’ in February, 2008.
He was an apostle of Benson &
Hedges cigarrette and several brands
of alcoholic beverages until he
collapsed one morning while
attempting to join a car that was
billed to take him to Obosi, Anambra
State for the burial of Amaechi
Muonagor’s mother. He was rushed
to University of Nigeria Teaching
Hospital, Enugu where after reviving
him the doctors advised him against
continuing with his smoking and
drinking.