Daud Olatunji
Tears flowed freely in Ilaro, Ogun State, on Monday as family members, colleagues, friends and fans gathered to bid a final farewell to veteran Nollywood actor, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo.
The 66-year-old actor was buried in his hometown in accordance with Islamic rites, barely 24 hours after his death was announced.
The funeral drew several prominent figures from the Yoruba film industry, including veteran actors Jide Kosoko, Yinka Quadri, Faithia Balogun, Femi Adebayo, Mr Latin and Toyosi Adesanya.
Others who attended the burial included Ireti Osayemi, Bisi Omo Logbalogba and Bola Oyin-Adejobi, among other colleagues, relatives and sympathisers.
A video from the burial showed mourners carrying the remains of the actor to the burial ground as Islamic funeral rites were observed.
The emotional atmosphere at the ceremony reflected the deep impact Ogogo had made on the Nigerian film industry, particularly Yoruba-language cinema, where he established himself as one of the most recognisable faces.
Ogogo’s close friend and fellow actor, Yinka Quadri, was visibly emotional during the burial as mourners consoled him.
Also speaking ahead of the burial, actor Bola Oyin-Adejobi paid tribute to the deceased and prayed for him to attain Al-Jannah Firdaus.
Ogogo’s death was announced on Sunday, with veteran actor Jide Kosoko confirming that the actor’s remains would be taken to Ilaro for the final rites.
The Ilaro Muslim Community subsequently announced the funeral prayer for the late actor.
His death came days after his daughters, Kaira and Lima Taiwo, appealed for assistance for their father’s medical treatment.
Kaira had disclosed that Ogogo was battling stage-four cancer and that doctors had told the family that chemotherapy could no longer be administered because of his condition.
The family had consequently sought alternative treatment options as his condition deteriorated.
Ogogo’s death has since triggered an outpouring of tributes from actors, filmmakers, fans and other stakeholders in the entertainment industry, who described him as a major figure in the development of Yoruba-language filmmaking.
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