Biography Of Saint Obi
In this post, you will see the biography of Obinna Nwafor, popularly known as Saint Obi or Cent Obi. You will also discover his age, wife, marriage, net worth, kids, and other unknown facts you probably didn’t know about him.
Who is Saint Obi?
Saint Obi is a Nollywood actor, producer, director, musician, athlete, and philanthropist.
He is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Agwhyte International Limited, a production, talent, brand management, and public relations company established in Nigeria and the United States of America.
How old is Saint Obi?
This Nigerian actor, Saint Obi, was 57 years old when he died in 2023. He was born on November 16, 1965, in Port Harcourt, River State, but was raised in Jos, Plateau State.
Saint Obi’s Dead
He died on May 7, 2023, from an unrevealed illness in Jos, Plateau State. The northern part of Nigeria.
Where Is Saint Obi From?
Cent Obi hails from Ogwa in Mbaitoli Local Government Area in Imo State, South East Nigeria. Late Mazi Melford Nwafor and Late Lolo Milicent Nwafor were his parents. Saint Obi had 8 sisters. He was the only son of his parent’s nine children.
Early life
Obinna Nwafor grew up in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, where he obtained his primary, secondary, and university education.
Saint Obi attended Zang Commercial School and later gained admission into the University of Jos, where he graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts in 1991. He did his National Youth Service in Makurdi, the Benue State Capital.
Career
Cent Obi entered Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, in 1995. He was inspired by the foreign movies he loved as a little boy to become an actor. His rise to fame came in 1996, after starring in the NTA TV commercial for Peugeot and in his debut film, Without Love.
In 2001, Obi produced his first movie titled “Take Me to Mama,” where he played the role of Jerry alongside Rachel Oniga, Enebeli Elebuwa, and others. This movie was endorsed by Coca-Cola and marketed by NTA.
Over the past few years, Saint Obi reduced his appearances in movies from 10 per year to 6 and later to one movie per year. He believes that what matters is how well you act, not how many times you appear in a movie.
Obi revealed in an interview that he had to move behind the scenes to make things work.
As a director and producer, he is often called Mr. Quality due to his keen attention to detail and his relentless pursuit of excellence in his work. During the production of his movie “Take Me to Mama”, he donated his Mercedes Benz to make the bomb blast scene look more realistic.
His Music Career
As a musician, Saint Obi owned a record label called “Agwhyte Music Label.” He released three singles: “You and I,” “Imagine,” and “Sarakute.”
His Political Career
Saint Obi served as a resource person for the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation, with his company creating and producing more than 15 television and radio commercials for the campaign.
He also founded Agwhyte Global Entertainment Network (AGEN), which became Africa’s largest film distribution network, with over 190,000 outlets (including 4,800 in Nigeria) across 55 countries worldwide.
Before retiring from acting, Saint appeared in over 200 Nollywood films. He chose to focus on production and the business side of filmmaking.
In addition to his work in entertainment, Saint Obi was an athlete who represented Plateau State, Nigeria, in both football and basketball competitions.
Saint Obi’s Philanthropic Work
Actor Saint Obi founded the Saint Obi Foundation (SOF), a non-governmental organisation driven by his deep love for humanity and his passion for philanthropy.
SOF is a platform dedicated to empowering individuals of all genders. The foundation visits schools to impart valuable life lessons to the youth, teaching them the importance of good values and the consequences of living irresponsibly.
In a remarkable gesture, the Saint Obi Foundation (SOF) surprised the people of Ogwa, a town in Imo State, by grading their roads. The foundation also drilled boreholes to provide clean water for rural communities and built shops to support local businesses.
Additionally, Saint Obi founded another initiative to combat the OSU (outcast) syndrome, a practice still prevalent in parts of Igbo land. Through this foundation, he worked to dismantle the associated shrines and free the Igbo people from this oppressive tradition.
Saint Obi’s Marriage
Is Saint Obi married? Yes, Saint Obi was married to his ex-wife, Lynda Amobi, who is also known as Lynda Saint Nwafor. They tied the knot in December 2006 in Anambra State. However, after 15 years of marriage, the couple divorced. Lynda Amobi reverted to her maiden name, Linda Amobi, to signify their divorce.
Obi left the marriage due to an alleged near-death experience involving his wife’s brother. Reports suggest that the brother-in-law attempted to stab him in the left eye with a knife after entering through the fence.
Saint said he does not understand why his ex-wife’s family sees him as a gold digger, as he works hard and earns his own money without depending on his wife.
It was also reported that this was not his first divorce. His first marriage was to the daughter of a Lagos-based pastor, but the relationship ended in divorce many years ago.
Talking about Saint Obi’s girlfriend, there have been no reports or public information about this.
Saint Obi’s Children
His marriage with Lynda Amobi was blessed with three kids, two boys and a girl.
Who is Saint Obi’s wife?
Saint Obi’s wife is Lynda Amobi, also known as Lynda Saint Nwafor. She works with MTN Nigeria as the general manager of planning and chief technical officer of the company. Lynda is from Anambra State.
Saint Obi’s Net Worth
This Nigerian actor had an estimated net worth of $7 million. In 2014, he bought a Mercedes Benz G wagon worth 50 Million naira.
Social life
Cent Obi had a golden heart. He was down to earth, humble to the core, and always made an effort to uplift those around him. While many fans described Saint Obi as someone who loved a quiet and peaceful lifestyle, others noted that he was the shy type who only felt comfortable around a few friends.
Saint Obi’s House
He built a palatial mansion in his hometown, Alaenyi Ogwa village, located in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. The reason for this was to honour all his ancestors, including his late parents, grandparents, and other members of his family lineage.
This mansion is named Saint Obi’s Park. Together with this, Obi also built another mansion in Lagos.
How did Saint Obi die?
He died on Sunday, May 6, 2023, at one of his sibling’s homes in Jos, Plateau State, after battling an undisclosed illness for some time. Despite undergoing three surgeries, his health continued to decline. At one point, he confided in his mentor, Zeb, expressing sorrow for not having the opportunity to see his children.
Since the news of his passing, many celebrities, including Stephanie Okereke and other colleagues in Nollywood, paid tribute to him and mourned his sudden exit. In his final moments, Saint Obi shared these few words with Tchidi Chikere when he offered him three movie roles,
He said “Tee I’ll come to the USA and we will do big things, I want to relaunch myself with something big”.
Tchidi Chikere said that when he offered Saint Obi three movie roles, Obi didn’t sound like his usual self and declined the offers, refusing to act in the films.
When the news of Saint Obi’s death broke on social media, Tchidi said he called his phone to verify if it was true, but unfortunately, Saint Obi did not pick up. This left Tchidi in shock, as he hoped it was all just a lie.
Saint Obi’s Movies
Some of his popular movies include:
- Take me to Mama
- Narrow Escape
- Goodbye Tomorrow
- Last Party
- Wedding Fever
- Candle Light
- State of Emergency
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