Wellington Jopelo
The remains of veteran Yoruba actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, have been brought back to his hometown of Ilaro, Ogun State, as family, friends, colleagues and residents prepare to give the actor his final farewell today.
Ogogo’s return to Ilaro comes less than 24 hours after his death on Sunday at the age of 66, following a prolonged illness.
His death has brought sadness to the Yoruba movie industry, particularly to colleagues who had rallied around him in the final days of his illness after his daughters, Kira and Lima Taiwo, revealed that he was battling stage-four cancer.
The actor’s remains were transported to Ilaro on Sunday, where preparations were made for the Islamic burial rites. The arrival has turned the actor’s hometown into a gathering point for relatives, friends, entertainers and residents who came to mourn one of their most recognisable sons.
Among those who have been associated with the final rites are veteran actors Jide Kosoko and Yinka Quadri, while actress Ireti Osayemi was also among those who travelled to Ilaro to pay their respects.
The burial arrangements include the Islamic prayer scheduled for 10am today at the Asade Agunloye Pavilion Ground in Ilaro, according to the Ilaro Muslim Community.
The atmosphere in the town has remained sombre as mourners remember an actor whose career stretched across more than four decades and whose name became closely associated with Yoruba-language cinema.
Born Taiwo Hassan on October 31, 1959, in Ilaro, Ogun State, Ogogo did not begin his working life as an actor. He worked as an automobile mechanic and later spent about 13 years with the Lagos State Water Corporation before leaving government service in 1994 to pursue acting full-time.
That decision eventually produced one of the most recognisable careers in Yoruba entertainment. Ogogo worked as an actor, producer, director and screenwriter, earning a reputation that extended well beyond his hometown.
His passing has also prompted tributes from colleagues and public figures who described him as a major contributor to Yoruba cinema and an important figure in the preservation and promotion of Yoruba culture through film.
For Ilaro, however, the moment is deeply personal. The community is not simply receiving the remains of a famous actor; it is welcoming home one of its own as the curtains finally come down on the life of a man whose name became known across Nigeria.