Footage shows Angela Okorie sparking outrage by setting fire to the clothes she wore to Alexx Ekubo's funeral

Nollywood actress and singer Angela Okorie is facing intense social media criticism after sharing a video of herself burning the clothes she wore to the burial of her late colleague, Alexx Ekubo, on Sunday.

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The 40-year-old actor was laid to rest on Thursday, June 18, in Arochukwu, Abia State, after battling metastatic kidney cancer, and Okorie took to her Instagram Story to film the outfit on fire, citing advice from a spiritual authority figure as the reason.

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Okorie explained in the video that her Godmother advised her to burn the clothes, saying "My Godmother said it’s not good to have the cloth you wore to a burial around you, you burn them," and added that she shared the information to inform her family and friends.

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The video quickly spread to X, where users condemned the actress for what they described as "selective superstition" and a thirst for online engagement during a sensitive period of mourning, with many pointing out the inconsistency in burning only the outfit while preserving other valuable items worn to the venue.

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Ogechi, who tweets as #missy_ada2, questioned the selective burning, saying "She kept the bag, shoes, wig and jewellery though," while #dejay_kiss asked, "What about the wig, sunglasses and jewellery she wore there, her Godmother didn’t include that in the conversation?"

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#Highness2510 also asked, "Why didn’t you burn the phone and wig you wore to the burial," as critics argued that sharing the information online lacked emotional intelligence and validated why the late Ekubo kept his personal life private.

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Martin-Rita, identified on X as #MLAdebayo, wrote, "Now I know better why this guy keeps his health status and personal life away from social media and his colleagues," and added, "So, if it’s your family member that dies, you will have to bring it to social media like this."

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#DwayneFranky commented, "If she burns it without anyone finding out, then that’s understandable, but burning it and coming online to announce it shows she is doing it for clout," and #Blackjoeoti wrote, "You can burn it without coming online to tell us, so this is very sensitive."

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The backlash intensified on Facebook, where users dismissed the practice as an insult to regular families and institutional workers who attend funerals frequently, with Alphonsus Uwa writing, "So all the church members who attend funerals with church uniforms should be burning their uniforms after each funeral they attend?"

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Oku N Enye Ife questioned, "So what of the morticians, we should be buying new clothes every day, na," and Blessing Adejoh commented, "I’m still using my mom’s own and my dad’s own to church… In fact, I dey use dem as dress code for choir sef… dey play."

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Cathryn Onalife Obiora asked, "All other burials she has attended, did she come out to showcase how she burnt the clothes she wore to the burial," and Chinyere Ozuzu advised, "Make sure you burn all the other clothes used for previous burials attended and the ones you’ll use to attend future burials."

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Amid the criticism, a few users defended Okorie, arguing that discarding funeral garments is a rooted cultural tradition in certain parts of Nigeria, with Elizabeth Funmilola commenting, "In my own opinion, she is right, the reason why cloth is advised to be burned is because the dead must be buried with a cloth on him or her."

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As of press time, Okorie has not responded to the criticism, and the video has continued to spark conversations regarding boundaries, privacy, and online decorum within the Nigerian entertainment industry.