Veteran Nollywood actors Segun Arinze and Jerry Amilo have shut down renewed concerns over the health and mental state of colleague Hanks Anuku, insisting that a video currently making the rounds on social media is not a recent recording.
Fresh speculation about Anuku’s wellbeing trailed a clip shared online on Saturday, showing the actor lying by the roadside in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja, holding a disposable cup and appearing to talk to himself. The footage triggered widespread reactions, with many Nigerians expressing concern while others speculated he may have been under the influence of alcohol.
Reacting swiftly, Arinze dismissed the rumours, describing the footage as outdated.
“This is a very old video oo,” Arinze wrote on social media.
Amilo also weighed in, urging Nigerians to stop recirculating the clip and pushing what he called false narratives about the actor.
“PLEASE THIS IS AN OLD VIDEO. STOP SPREADING EVIL NEWS AND WISHES,” Amilo wrote.
The clarification comes against the backdrop of Anuku’s well-documented personal struggles. In November 2023, the actor had publicly disclosed his battle with depression, admitting he turned to alcohol during one of the most difficult periods of his life. He also alleged that some colleagues subjected him to blackmail out of jealousy, a development he said worsened his emotional state.
With the latest interventions, Arinze and Amilo appear set on correcting misinformation and forestalling fresh speculation over Anuku’s current condition.
Ogbeni Olawale Dawodu
