The remains of veteran Nollywood actor, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, have been laid to rest in his hometown, Ilaro, Ogun State, amid grief from family members, colleagues and friends.
The 66-year-old actor was buried on Monday in line with Islamic rites, with mourners gathering in large numbers to pay their final respects to the celebrated Yoruba film star.
Emotions ran high during the funeral procession as mourners conveyed the actor’s remains to the burial ground. His longtime friend and colleague, Yinka Quadri, was visibly devastated and broke down in tears as those around him tried to comfort him.
Several prominent Nollywood personalities also travelled to Ilaro for the burial, including Jide Kosoko, Faithia Balogun, Femi Adebayo, Mr Latin, Toyosi Adesanya, Ireti Osayemi and Bisi Omo Logbalogba.
Another actor, Bola Oyin-Adejobi, described Ogogo as a respected figure in the industry while speaking with journalists before the burial. He also prayed for the late actor’s soul to be admitted into Al-Jannah Firdaus.
The burial followed the arrival of Ogogo’s remains in Ilaro on Sunday, ahead of the lying-in-state ceremony and funeral prayers announced by the Ilaro Muslim Community.
Ogogo’s death was announced on Sunday by veteran actor Jide Kosoko, who disclosed that the actor died at about 3pm at the age of 66.
His death came shortly after his daughters, Kaira and Lima Taiwo, appealed publicly for help over his deteriorating health.
The actor had reportedly been battling stage-four cancer, with his daughter revealing that doctors had stopped chemotherapy because of his condition. The family subsequently explored alternative treatment options in a bid to save his life.
Ogogo was one of the prominent faces of Yoruba-language cinema, with a career spanning more than four decades. He appeared in hundreds of films and earned a reputation as one of the most influential and recognisable actors in the Nigerian film industry.
