Controversy surrounds death of Sam Loco as police investigate

Sam Loco

While family members, fans and colleagues of the late veteran actor, Sam Loco, are trying to come to terms with his sudden death, It was gathered that the Imo State Police Command is investigating the death of the actor. According to an online website, questionmark magazine, the Imo State police have commenced investigation following insinuations that the actor might have died in an unusual circumstance. The publication quoted the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Linus Nwaiwu, as saying, “We are still looking at the issues that may have led to his death. As soon as we find a lead, we will make our findings public. It is too early to say what killed him. We wouldn’t want to work on hearsay; that is why we are taking our time to unravel the cause of his death.”

However, the president, Actors Guild of Nigeria, Segun Arinze, said via a telephone text message that the police were not investigating the death of Sam Loco. He said all the police were doing was their routine work. “The police are not investigating but doing their routine work as the death occurred in a hotel room,” he said. He expressed his sympathy and described his death as a colossal loss to both the entertainment industry and Nigeria as a whole.

There were two different accounts of the death of the veteran. An account says that Sam Loco died in his sleep in a room at Rapour Hotel in Owerri. The late actor had just finished a new movie titled. The Unknown Prophet, which was partly shot in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State. He later moved to Owerri to commence the editing of the movie. Mr. Loco’s hotel room door had to be forced open after he failed to respond to numerous phone calls in the morning. The other version says that it is suspected that he died of asthma. He was reportedly found dead on Sunday morning with Ventolin inhaler beside him in the hotel room. The room was forced open after he failed to come down after going to bed the previous night.

Sam Loco was skilled in putting smiles on faces of Nigerians with the way he interpreted his roles in movies. Little wonder the news of his death was very disheartening.