The Nigerian movie industry, popularly known as Nollywood, has once again been thrown into mourning with the death of veteran actor, Zulu Adigwe, who passed away on Tuesday night.

Adigwe’s death has brought the number Nigerian actors who have died in 2024 to seven, which has made Nigerians and movie practitioners wonder why the sudden rash of deaths in the industry.

Fondly called Pa Zulu, Adigwe earned fame for his paternal roles in Nollywood movies and came into limelight in the 1980s sitcom, “Basi and Company” where he acted the role of “Mr. B.”

Adigwe also featured in the 2019 blockbuster ‘Living in Bondage’ and ‘Breaking Free’ among hundreds of movies where he became know for often portraying wicked uncles as well as native doctors.

In just four months gone in 2024, the Nigerian movie industry has been hit with spate of deaths of prominent and budding actors.

The first death of the year was recorded on January 4 when veteran Yoruba actor, Deji Aderemi, popularly known as Olofa Ina, died at the age of 73, of cancer related complications.

A month later, veteran actress, Ethel Ekpe, also passed on February 7 after a long battle with cancer.

On March 1, budding Yoruba Nollywood actor, Tolani Quadri Oyebamiji, popularly known as Sisi Quadri also died at the age of 44.

The following day, the industry was again hit with the news of the passing of comic actor, John Okafor, who was better known as Mr Ibu, who died at the age of 62.

Three weeks after the demise of Mr. Ibu, another veteran actor, Amaechi Muonagor was also snatched by the cold hands of death on March 24, after battling kidney disease for a long time.

On April 7, another young Nollywood actress, Adejumoke Oreoluwa Aderounmu, popularly known for her role as ‘Esther’ in popular TV series, Jenifa’s Diary, died also passed on.

On Wednesday, April 10th, three days after the death of Adejumoke, the movie industry was once again, thrown into mourning with the untimely passing of Junior Pope Odonwodo who was popularly known as Junior Pope, who drowned while filming a scene on the River Niger in Delta State.

Egypt has received a 3,400-year-old statue depicting the head of King Ramses II that was stolen and smuggled out of the country more than three millennia a ago, the country’s Antiquities Ministry said in a statement.

According to the Ministry, the statue was stolen from the Ramses II temple in the ancient city of Abydos in Southern Egypt more than three decades ago.

Head of Egypt’s Antiquities Repatriation Department, Shaaban Abdel Gawad, who received the artefact said though the exact date the artefact was stolen is not known, the piece is estimated to have been stolen in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

“The statue is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo but not on display. The artefact will be restored,” he said.

He stated that Egyptian authorities spotted the artefact when it was offered for sale in an exhibition in London in 2013 before it was moved to several other countries before reaching Switzerland.

“This head is part of a group of statues depicting King Ramses II seated alongside a number of Egyptian deities,” Abdel Gawad said.

King Ramses II is one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful Pharaohs. Also known as Ramses the Great, he was the third pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty of Egypt and ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC.

“Egypt collaborated with Swiss authorities to establish its rightful ownership and Switzerland handed over the statue to the Egyptian embassy in Bern last year, but it was only recently that Egypt brought the artefact home, he added.