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Veteran Nigerian singer, broadcaster and actress, Onyeka Onwenu, aka \u2018Elegant Stallion\u2019 died on Tuesday after performing at a function.<\/p>\n

According to reports, Onwenu slumped after performing at the birthday ceremony of Stella Okoli, owner of Emzor Pharmaceuticals, and was later confirmed dead at a hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos.<\/p>\n

However, the official cause of her death is yet to be made public.<\/p>\n

Below are ten things to know about the multidimensional phenomenon called Onyeka Onwenu\u2026.<\/p>\n

1. Onyeka Onwenu was born on January 31, 1952, in Obosi, Anambra State.<\/p>\n

2. She was a Nigerian broadcast journalist, singer-songwriter, actress, politician, human rights and social activist, and former X Factor series judge.<\/p>\n

3. Onwenu began her broadcast career in 1980 as a corper with the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, in Lagos. In 1984, she wrote and presented the internationally acclaimed BBC\/NTA documentary, \u2018Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches.\u2019 She also worked as a TV presenter, hosting the shows Contact (1988) and Who\u2019s On? (1993) both on NTA Network.<\/p>\n

4. She possessed a BA in International Relations and Communication from Wellesley College, Massachusetts, and an MA in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research, New York.<\/p>\n

5. The \u2018Elegant Stallion\u2019 began her recording career in 1981 while still with the NTA, releasing the album \u2018For the Love of You.\u2019 She went on to release four other albums; \u2018Endless Love\u2019, \u2018In The Morning Light\u2019 (1984), \u2018Dancing In The Sun\u2019 (1988), \u2018Onyeka!\u2019 (1992). She later made a transition to gospel music in the 1990s. In 2013, Onwenu served as one of the three judges on X Factor Nigeria.<\/p>\n

6. She made her acting debut in Zik Zulu Okafor\u2019s \u2018Nightmare\u2019 in 1999. In 2006 she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in the movie \u2018Widow\u2019s Cot.\u2019 Onwenu starred in the 2014 movie \u2018Half Of A Yellow Sun\u2019 with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandiwe Newton. She was in Netflix\u2019s first Nigerian Original film \u2018Lion Heart\u2019 (2018).<\/p>\n

She has acted in dozens of Nollywood movies.<\/p>\n

7. In politics, Onwenu was appointed as the Chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture by former governor Ikedi Ohakim. She later appointed the Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development in 2013. She contested twice to become the Chairman of her Local Government, Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State and lost at both attempts.<\/p>\n

8. She awarded the National Honors of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2011 in recognition of her contributions to Nigerian society.<\/p>\n

9. She was a mother of two. She kept her personal life private. Not much is known about her ex-husband, a Yoruba Muslim.<\/p>\n

10. Onwenu died at the age of 72.<\/p>\n

Onyeka Onwenu: 10 things to know about the late \u2018Elegant Stallion\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veteran Nigerian singer, broadcaster and actress, Onyeka Onwenu, aka \u2018Elegant Stallion\u2019 died on Tuesday after performing at a function. According…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,15,22542],"tags":[22575,2088,171,768,1182,180,22543,7822,14371,1098,328],"class_list":["post-44637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-news","category-onyeka-onwenu","tag-elegant","tag-about","tag-entertainment","tag-know","tag-late","tag-news","tag-onwenu","tag-onyeka","tag-stallion","tag-the","tag-things"],"yoast_head":"\n