What happened to Rico Swavey? Tributes pour in as Big Brother Naija star dies aged 29

On October 13, 2022, former Big Brother Naija housemate Rico Swavey recently passed away at the age of 29 after meeting with an accident a few days ago. Tobi Bakre and Sandra Alexandra, who also participated in BB Naija, announced the news on Twitter. Tobi wrote:

Sandra also expressed her sorrow at the untimely death of Swavey in a tweet that stated:

Rico Swavey’s cause of death explored

On Tuesday, October 11, Rico Swavey died after being met with a motor accident. He went into a coma following the incident, after which Nigerian entertainers launched a fundraiser for him to get some financial help for his treatment.

While requesting donations on social media, Tobi Bakre disclosed that Swavey was on life support. The news was also confirmed by Swavey’s management and they shared a video that featured the crashed car. Tobi wrote on Twitter:

Sandra Alexandra revealed the news of Swavey’s accident on Twitter and wrote on her Instagram Story that he is in critical condition and needs everyone’s financial assistance and prayers. She continued:

Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Rico Swavey gained recognition in recent years for his appearance on Big Brother Naija. However, with the news of his untimely death, Twitter was flooded with tributes from fans and admirers alike:

Swavey is survived by his family members. He never revealed anything about his personal life, and there is no information on whether he was married or dating someone.

Everything known about Rico Swavey

Also known as Patrick Fakoya, he was born in 1992 and studied law at Babcock University. He had seven siblings and was an expert in singing and swimming.

Swavey entered the world of music before coming to Big Brother. Moreover, he also starred in a few movies. He released a single titled Afrosantana and appeared in the movie Tinsel followed by the drama series Life 101.

While participating in Big Brother Naija, he was asked what he plans to do if he gets a million dollars, to which Swavey replied by stating that he would be in a big house to catch waves. He joined Big Brother Naija on January 28, 2018, and unveiled that cooking was his way of expression as he cooked the most for the housemates.

Rico Swavey was eliminated from the show after 10 weeks and 70 days. Following the elimination, he revealed that he liked one of the housemates, Ahneeka. He participated in the show to help his cousin who was suffering from autism and invest in his music career.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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