Nollywood: Tears As Veteran Actor Ogogo Is Laid To Rest

Tears flowed freely in Ilaro, Ogun State, on Monday as the remains of veteran Nollywood actor, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, were laid to rest.

Family members, friends, colleagues and sympathizers gathered in the actor’s hometown to bid him a final farewell as the burial rites were conducted according to Islamic tradition.

The 66-year-old actor died at about 3pm on Sunday, leaving colleagues and fans mourning the loss of one of the most respected figures in Yoruba-language cinema.

One of the most emotional moments of the burial was the reaction of Ogogo’s close friend and colleague, Yinka Quadri.

Quadri was seen crying uncontrollably as mourners around him tried to console him while Ogogo’s remains were taken to his final resting place.

The emotional scene reflected the depth of the relationship between the two veteran actors, who had shared several years together in the Yoruba film industry.

A video from the funeral procession showed mourners carrying Ogogo’s remains towards the burial ground as family members, friends and colleagues followed.

Several prominent Nollywood actors were among those who gathered in Ilaro to honour the late actor.

Veteran actor Jide Kosoko, Faithia Balogun, Femi Adebayo, Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Mr Latin, and Toyosi Adesanya were among the colleagues who attended the burial.

Others at the ceremony included Ireti Osayemi and Bisi Omo Logbalogba, alongside members of Ogogo’s family, friends and other well-wishers.

Actor Bola Oyin-Adejobi also paid tribute to the late actor while speaking with journalists ahead of the burial.

He prayed for Ogogo to be granted Al-Jannah Firdaus and urged Nigerians to remember the late actor for his contributions to the entertainment industry.

The burial rites came a day after Ogogo’s remains were taken to Ilaro, his hometown.

Jide Kosoko had announced the actor’s death on Sunday through his Instagram page and disclosed that his remains would be taken to Ilaro for the burial.

Kosoko had also announced that a lying-in-state ceremony would be held on Monday.

The Ilaro Muslim Community subsequently announced the burial prayer for the veteran actor.

Ogogo’s death came days after his daughters, Kaira and Lima Taiwo, appealed for medical assistance for their father, who had been battling stage-four cancer.

Kaira had disclosed that doctors told the family that they could no longer administer chemotherapy because of his condition.

The family subsequently explored other treatment options in an effort to save the actor’s life.

Despite the efforts, Ogogo died on Sunday at the age of 66.

Ogogo was one of the most recognizable faces in Yoruba-language cinema and spent more than four decades in the Nigerian film industry.

During his career, he featured in hundreds of films and built a reputation as one of the leading actors in the Yoruba movie industry.