Nollywood actress Uchenna Nnanna has revealed the harrowing details of a 2013 road accident that left her fighting for her life, requiring oxygen therapy and a three‑week hospital stay.
She described being placed on oxygen immediately after the crash as doctors worked to stabilise her, receiving drips and intensive care before she was discharged after about three weeks in hospital.
Family Tragedy and Fear of Flying
The accident brought back painful memories of losing her elder sister, Olaedo Nnanna, who perished in the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crash in Port Harcourt on 10 December 2005. That disaster claimed 108 of the 110 people aboard and remains one of Nigeria’s worst aviation tragedies.
Nnanna said the loss of her sister, followed by the deaths of both parents, marked one of the darkest chapters of her life, leaving her to cope with the reality of being an orphan and developing a lasting fear of air travel.
She recalled the moment: “2013 was the first accident I ever had. The accident that almost took my life. It was on a Monday, and they had to put me on oxygen because I was almost going. They put oxygen on me to try to revive me, put drips; they were doing a whole lot. I was in the hospital for three weeks.”
She added that it took years before she felt comfortable flying again, and that during difficult times she would remember her mother’s words: “Mother Mary, would you allow my wine to finish?”
Doris Ijeoma Israel is an entertainment journalist and a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos. She covers stories in film, music, and celebrity culture. Contact her via [email protected]
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