Nollywood actor Stan Nze has condemned the reported theft of several mobile phones during the service of songs held in honour of late actor Alexx Ekubo, saying the incident reflects a deeper crisis of values among Nigerians.
The Nigerian entertainment industry gathered on Wednesday to pay tribute to Ekubo, who died on May 11, 2026, after a battle with kidney cancer. However, reports of missing phones at the event sparked controversy on social media, with some attendees confirming that their devices were stolen.
Speaking in a video posted after the ceremony on Thursday, Nze, who hosted the event, revealed that more than five phones were reported missing.
“I hosted my dear friend’s, my brother’s service of song last night, and it was one of the hardest things to do, but what I want to address is the fact that at that service of songs, over five phones went missing, and this I’m saying five phones because I don’t want to exaggerate,” he said.
The actor said he personally knew some of the victims, including Nollywood actress Susan Peters. Reality TV star Bamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan, popularly known as BamBam, also confirmed that her phone was stolen. According to her, a friend and another man in her group lost their phones as well, bringing the number of missing devices linked to her group to at least three.
Nze said the situation became so alarming that organisers had to temporarily prevent guests from leaving the venue while efforts were made to locate the missing phones.
Expressing disbelief over the incident, he questioned how individuals could steal from people gathered to mourn a deceased colleague.