Veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, has again dismissed circulating rumours of his death, describing them as false and distressing hoaxes.

The latest claim, which alleged that the 78-year-old actor was rushed to hospital and later died, with reports falsely attributing confirmation to his son, Uche Edochie, follows a long history of similar misinformation about the celebrated screen icon.

Popularly known as Ebubedike, Edochie has been the subject of repeated death rumours since 2012, ranging from fabricated stories of dying abroad to claims of surviving fatal accidents.

Speaking in a telephone conversation with Vanguard on Tuesday, the veteran actor firmly debunked the reports, saying: “I’m alive and will die when my maker calls me home.”

Expressing frustration over the recurring hoaxes, Edochie said he had been falsely declared dead on several occasions. “I have been killed about seven times. There was a time they said I travelled abroad and died there. At other times, they claimed that a plane I boarded from Enugu to Ethiopia crashed and I didn’t survive,” he recalled.

He further recounted an incident where his wife received an early morning call while preparing for church, with the caller alleging that he had passed away. “Last year, somebody from Ghana also claimed that Pete Edochie was already in the grave,” he added.

Reflecting on the rumours, Edochie referenced a lesson he said he learned from Nigeria’s first President, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, noting that those who wish others death often precede them.

The revered actor, a recipient of national honours including the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) Industry Merit Award, said he would turn 79 on March 7 and credited his family’s history of longevity for his continued vitality.

“My father lived to 96, so we have longevity in my family,” Edochie said, reaffirming that he remains alive, active, and in good health.