Emotional Scenes in Ilaro as Nollywood Bids Farewell to Veteran Actor Taiwo Hassan ‘Ogogo’
Ilaro, Ogun State — Veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, was laid to rest in his hometown of Ilaro on Monday, in an emotional ceremony attended by family, friends, and prominent figures from Nigeria’s film industry, days after his death at the age of 66 following a battle with stage-four cancer.
Tears flowed freely throughout the day as mourners gathered to bid the veteran actor a final farewell. His wife, Ajoke Taiwo, was visibly overcome with grief during the funeral rites, struggling to hold back tears as loved ones moved to console her. The emotional scenes were captured and shared widely on social media, drawing an outpouring of sympathy from fans across the country who followed the ceremony from afar.
By around 9 a.m., members of Ogogo’s family and close associates had already gathered in preparation for the funeral, with his remains arriving in Ilaro earlier that morning ahead of the burial. Burial prayers were held at the Asade Agunloye Pavilion Ground, conducted by the Chief Imam of Ilaro, before his body, wrapped in white cloth in accordance with Islamic tradition, was carried through the streets in a solemn procession that drew a large crowd of well-wishers. His remains were subsequently laid to rest at approximately 10:50 a.m.
Prominent figures from the Yoruba film industry were present to pay their respects, including his close associates Jide Kosoko and Yinka Quadri, both of whom were visibly emotional throughout the proceedings, along with actresses Fathia Balogun, Fausat Balogun, Toyosi Adesanya, and Ireti Osayemi, among others. Filmmaker and actor Femi Adebayo had earlier broken down in tears while paying tribute to his late colleague at an unrelated film event, an emotional moment that caught attendees off guard. Fuji music icon Kwam 1 also struggled to contain his emotions as news of Ogogo’s passing continued to reverberate across the entertainment community.
Ogogo’s death was first announced by his daughter, Kira, during an emotional live session on social media on Sunday, shortly after which his colleague, actor Saidi Balogun, confirmed the news in a public tribute. The announcement came just weeks after the actor’s daughters had disclosed his cancer diagnosis and appealed publicly for medical assistance, a plea that drew hundreds of offers of support from Nigerians, colleagues, and public figures before his health ultimately declined.
Born on October 31, 1959, in Ilaro, Hassan built a career in Nigerian cinema spanning more than four decades, beginning his acting journey in 1981 while still working as an automobile mechanic. He went on to become one of the most recognisable faces in Yoruba cinema, appearing in acclaimed films including Owo Blow, Aníkúlápó, Omo Ghetto, and Bank Alert, with his role in Aníkúlápó introducing his work to a new generation of viewers following its release on Netflix.
As tributes continue to pour in from across Nigeria’s entertainment industry, colleagues and fans alike have described his passing as a significant loss to Yoruba cinema, with many expressing that his decades of contribution to the industry would remain fondly remembered for years to come.
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