The news has sparked widespread grief across Nigeria, with fans and colleagues paying tribute to the Nollywood star, who appeared in over 60 films and was celebrated for his comedic roles and youthful appearance.
Nwobu’s family has yet to issue a public statement. The cause of his death on Monday is not yet known, with a coroner’s report expected soon, said his lawyer, Chukwujiekwu Chukwudi.
Videos reportedly showing Nwobu’s lifeless body circulated online on Monday, causing distress among fans.
Mr Chukwudi told BBC Igbo that an ambulance was called to Nwobu’s hotel in Benoni, near Johannesburg, after he was found in his room “gasping for breath”. The actor was alone at the time, having returned from a night out with colleagues earlier that evening.
Paramedics attempted to revive him using a defibrillator, but he was pronounced dead at the scene before he could be taken to hospital.
Born in Enugu State in south-eastern Nigeria in 1982, Nwobu landed his first professional role straight out of secondary school in the film Joseph the Dreamer. He went on to build a prolific career, though he later spoke about feeling typecast, which led him to pursue content creation to explore more creative freedom.
Through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Nwobu amassed hundreds of thousands of followers. At the time of his death, he was visiting South Africa with a group of social media influencers to promote a Nigerian-owned real estate company, according to Emeka Rollas, president of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria. His lawyer, who also advises the company, accompanied the group.
Chukwudi said: “We were shocked to receive calls from Nigeria to confirm the passing of the young man, while we were still debating how to break the news to his family.”
In July, Nwobu survived a road accident, which at the time led to false rumours of his death. He was not married and had no children.