I Faced Death Twice, and That’s Why I Said I’m a Survivor, I Saw Death Like This — Actor Lanre Afod

Nigerian actor, singer, filmmaker, director and producer Lanre Afod has revealed that his battle with a severe illness brought him close to death twice, describing the experience as one that strengthened his relationship with God and changed how he manages reminders of his health struggles. Afod made the disclosure during an interview on Talk To B, aired on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

He explained that he had deleted photographs taken during his illness because he no longer wanted to see images that reminded him of the difficult period. “There are some pictures of me when I was very sick. I had to delete everything because I don’t want to see it again,” Afod said.

According to the actor, he has become deliberate about removing items and anything else that could trigger painful memories of his health crisis. He explained that whenever he encounters something that makes him sad, he prefers to have it removed from his immediate environment. “So anything that makes me sad, as soon as I get into this place and I see something, I will tell you, ‘Please remove it,’” he said.

Afod illustrated his point by recounting an incident in which he saw an energy drink and immediately asked for it to be taken away. Although he did not provide further details about the connection between the drink and his illness, he suggested that it reminded him of circumstances he would rather leave behind. “Just the way I came and I saw energy drink and I said please take it away,’” he added.

Beyond the emotional effects of his illness, Afod reflected on how the experience had influenced his faith. He said surviving such a frightening health crisis had deepened his relationship with God, particularly for those who previously believed they were already close to Him. “If you’re the type that, for those who don’t believe in God, I don’t know what advice to give them,” he said.

He continued by explaining that his experience had strengthened the faith of people who already believed in God but subsequently found themselves seeking an even closer relationship with Him. “So, and some of us that thought we were close to God, we became closer to God,” Afod added.

The actor further explained why he describes himself as a survivor, revealing that he believes he came face-to-face with death on two occasions during his health struggles. “I faced death twice, and that’s why I said I’m a survivor. I saw death like this, I’m telling you,” he said.

Afod acknowledged that the experience was difficult to explain fully, particularly when attempting to describe what he felt during one of the frightening moments. “I don’t know how to explain it. You know when you’re sleeping and you see something practically holding your neck down, and you know it is done, but somehow I remember,” he recounted.