Veteran Yoruba Actor Ogogo Dies at 66

Yinka Olatunbosun

Veteran Nollywood actor and screenwriter, Alhaji Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, passed away at the age of 66 after a brief battle with stage four cancer.

His passing was confirmed on Sunday by his daughter, Kira Taiwo, during an emotional Instagram Live broadcast, as well as by senior industry colleagues including actor-filmmaker Saheed Balogun.

The tragic news comes just days after Ogogo’s daughters, Kira and Haleemah (Lima), went public regarding their father’s health condition. Diagnosed with advanced stage-four cancer, the family had recently appealed to medical experts and the public for alternative treatment options after doctors informed them that conventional chemotherapy could no longer be safely administered.

Speaking during a tearful broadcast, Kira expressed heartbreak while appealing to family members to help her travel home to see her father before final rites.

Born on October 31, 1959, in Ilaro, Ogun State, Ogogo’s transition into acting was unorthodox. He trained as an automobile mechanic and spent 13 years working with the Lagos State Water Corporation before stepping away in 1994 to pursue performing arts full-time.

He began his acting career in 1981 under the mentorship of Awo Ademola Fagbemi. Ogogo rose to national prominence in the 1990s through iconic roles in Yoruba-language cinema, most notably his breakout performance in the hit movie Owo Blow. Over a career spanning more than 40 years, he became revered for his calm demeanor, commanding screen presence, and portrayal of culturally rooted, moral-driven characters.

Tributes have poured in from fans, filmmakers, and colleagues across the Nigerian entertainment landscape.

Saheed Balogun, a Nollywood Actor and Filmmaker wrote: “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. You can rest now, my brother Taiwo Hassan Ogogo. May Almighty Allah grant you Aljannah Firdaus. This is truly painful.”

Details of his funeral arrangements and Islamic burial rites are expected to be announced by the family.