Nollywood actor and university lecturer Patrick Okoye, widely known by his screen name Energy, died in the early hours of Thursday, May 28, 2026, sending shock waves through Nigeria’s film industry and academic community.
The announcement was made around 11:00 am on Thursday on his official Instagram page, featuring a photo of the actor alongside the caption “Rest in peace, legend.”
Okoye’s colleague Ken Erics confirmed the news in a separate statement, noting that he had spoken with Okoye barely 24 hours before his death and that the actor had appeared hale and hearty. No cause of death has been disclosed.
Born on March 17, 1990, Okoye served as a lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State, where he mentored a generation of young theatre and film practitioners.
The head of the university department, Dr. Nkemakonam Aniukwu, described Okoye as a vibrant soul, a distinguished Nollywood personality, an exceptional teacher and a mentor whose passing created a void that would be difficult to fill.
Okoye was also a singer and choreographer who starred alongside notable actors including Patience Ozokwor, Osita Iheme and Yul Edochie. He earned recognition for roles in films such as Midnight Love, Old School, Finding a Wife, The Lion, The Jagaban and Over My Dead Body, often playing traditional authority figures such as Igwe, Onowu and Elder.
Ken Erics said of his late colleague and mentor: “Indeed, the creative world has lost a gem!”
Tributes continued to pour in across social media platforms on Friday as fans, students and industry figures paid their respects.
