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Nigeria’s legendary and humorous actor, Davis Offor, popularly known as Clarus Mgbeojikwe in the popular Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) sitcom, “The New Masquerade” that captivated audiences nationwide for over two decades, died on April 6, 2026, aged 85, in Lagos. The hilarious actor had prostate cancer and visual impairment before his demise. His colleague in the rested television sitcom, Tony Akposheri (Zacky), stated that Clarus was “more than a familiar face on screen. You were a friend, a brother, a man with warmth, humour and a presence that could light up any space.”
Offor will be remembered for making millions of Nigerians smile and laugh over their situations through his comic antics and pranks with fellow houseboy, Gringory Akabuogu (James Iroha), while “The New Masquerade” lasted. He stood out with his colleagues on the screen in a period when Nollywood films had not fully evolved.
In television entertainment programmes dominated by Western sitcoms and movies, the NTA sitcom localised content, created Nigerian characters, speech mannerisms and social reality, making the contents believable and easier to relate with. They also lifted the spirits of many Nigerians in the wake of despair and distrust occasioned by the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970.
Davis Offor exhibited outstanding professionalism in the interpretation of Clarus in “The New Masquerade” series. He starred majorly as the mischievous houseboy to Chief Zebrudaya Okorigwe Nwogbo, alias 4.30 (Chika Okpala), and his wife, Ovularia (Lizzy Evoeme). Offor played the houseboy role with wit, grit and comic showmanship. He sometimes played the role of Acting Big Man when he had the opportunity to put himself in the shoes of a social upstart.
Together with Gringory, his fellow houseboy, they served the audience with a surfeit of comic relief while defying the regimented life of the lower class in the social setup. For his expertise and professionalism in the world of acting, he was awarded the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in 1981. He also contributed to the evolution of Nollywood in its formative years and acted in the groundbreaking Nollywood movie of the 1990s, “Nneka the Pretty Serpent,” which added to the global recognition of Nigerian movie industry.
Besides, he was also innovative and a team player. When James Iroha, the creator of “The New Masquerade” left the saddle, Offor and Chika Okpala (Zebrudaya) kept the popular sitcom running for years. Offor and the cast of “The New Masquerade” deserve commendations for using drama as a tool for national healing and reintegration after the brutal Nigeria-Biafra war. Hitting the screen in the 1970s after the civil war that polarised the country, the sitcom portrayed characters from other ethnic groups. Among these characters, Jegede Sokoya, acted by the late Claude Eke, Apena, by late Christie Essien-Igbokwe, and Ramota (Veronica Njoku), stood out.
We commend Offor and the cast of “The New Masquerade” for sustaining the sitcom for such a long period before the advent of Mexican soap operas that swarmed our airwaves like rampaging bees. The rested “The New Masquerade” made many Nigerians to stay glued to their TV sets on Tuesday nights from 8:30pm to 9:00pm during the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s. It was created and written by Iroha, who also acted on the sitcom as Gringory Akabuogu. “The New Masquerade” was apparently one of Nigeria’s longest-running and most successful sitcoms, after it debuted as a radio drama, “Masquerade”, which was aired on the defunct East Central State Broadcasting Corporation.
Apart from acting, Davis Offor was also a pastor and preacher of the gospel. Shortly before the sitcom disappeared from the screen, he left acting in 1989, He was ordained a pastor at the Aetherius Temple in London, and returned to Nigeria to spread the gospel in Aba, Abia State. Despite losing his sight, he continued teaching every week, and kept going for over 25 years. He contributed in moral upbringing of many Nigerians as a strong man of God.
We commiserate with his family, numerous fans and the Nollywood industry over the loss of the great comical Nigerian thespian. Davis Offor was one of those who took to acting for the love of it and not for any mundane consideration. Excerpts of his fascinating roles in both the NTA sitcom and Nollywood movies would continue to excite viewers, as well as serve as research materials on sitcom characterisation. We urge the government to give the late actor a befitting burial. Let upcoming actors emulate his shining examples. May God grant his soul eternal repose.
