Sun re o, baba wa… sun re o.
The drum is quiet now.
The stage lights have gone dim.
And the voice that once made millions laugh, cry, love and reflect has fallen silent.
There are some deaths that feel strangely unreal. You hear the news, read the headlines, see the photographs yet somewhere inside, you keep waiting for the familiar voice to say, “It is not true.”
But this time, the curtain has truly fallen.
Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, is gone.
The veteran actor died on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at the age of 66, after a battle with stage-four cancer. He was buried in his hometown of Ilaro, Ogun State, on Monday according to Islamic rites, amid tears from family, friends, colleagues, admirers and an industry that has lost one of its most recognisable pillars.
And perhaps the most painful part is that only days before his death, Nigerians were praying, searching for specialists and hoping that somehow, somewhere, another door would open.
His daughters, Kira and Lima Taiwo, had publicly appealed for medical assistance as their father’s condition deteriorated. Colleagues and well-wishers rallied around him, desperately looking for possible treatment options.
Then came the news nobody wanted to hear.
Ogogo had passed on.
The man behind the name
Before Ogogo became a household name, there was Taiwo Hassan an Ilaro-born young man whose journey into entertainment was anything but accidental.
He studied Automobile Engineering at the Federal Technical College, Akoka, and worked with the Lagos State Water Corporation before eventually following the pull of theatre and acting. His passion took root in the theatre world in the 1980s, where he learned from veterans including Chief Lere Paimo and Chief Bayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello.
Then came Owo Blow.
His performance in the 1995 film directed by Tade Ogidan helped propel him into national prominence, earning him the Best Actor award at THEMA 97. From there, Ogogo became much more than an actor.
He became a presence.
A familiar face.
A voice.
A character.
A storyteller.
A piece of home.
For more than four decades, he gave himself to Yoruba theatre, film and television. His filmography included productions such as Owo Blow, Delicate Cane, Tears of Joy, Idajo Olorun, Legal Wife, Eleran Igbe, Ore Ijiji, Iya Ibeji and Ojo Ogbo. He also worked as a producer and director and became one of the most respected faces of Yoruba-language cinema.
And he never seemed ashamed of where his strength came from.
Yoruba.
He once explained that he was comfortable communicating his stories in Yoruba because that was where he started and where he believed he could best pass his message across.
That commitment mattered.
Because Ogogo did not merely act in Yoruba.
He carried Yoruba culture into people’s sitting rooms.
A star who was deeply loved
There are actors people admire.
Then there are actors people feel they know.
Ogogo belonged to the second category.
His death has shown just how deep that affection ran.
When the news broke, tributes poured in from across Nollywood, Ogun State and beyond. At his burial in Ilaro, veteran actors including Jide Kosoko, Yinka Quadri, Femi Adebayo, Faithia Balogun, Mr Latin, Ireti Osayemi, Toyosi Adesanya and others gathered to say goodbye.
Yinka Quadri, his longtime friend and colleague, was visibly overcome with emotion during the burial a heartbreaking picture of what it means to lose someone with whom one has shared decades of life, theatre and friendship.
Jide Kosoko remembered Ogogo as a gentleman whose kindness and willingness to help others distinguished him.
Mr Latin, president of TAMPAN, described him as a great icon, a legend and a father to many, saying he touched countless lives.
Femi Adebayo called him a pillar of Yoruba cinema, remembering the years, stories and lessons he gave to generations of audiences and actors.
Saidi Balogun mourned him as a brother.
And Bolanle Ninalowo, who shared the screen with him, acknowledged Ogogo as one of those veterans who helped pave the way for younger actors.
These were not simply industry tributes.
They sounded like family members saying goodbye.
Government mourns a cultural ambassador
The grief travelled beyond Nollywood.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun described Ogogo as a “shining light”, praising his talent, discipline and commitment to projecting Yoruba culture to audiences at home and abroad.
The Ogun State Government said his humility, dignity, candour and professionalism earned him the admiration of colleagues, fans and generations of Nigerians.
Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, described Ogogo as a brother, supporter and committed advocate for Ogun State and Nigeria. He also disclosed efforts made to support the actor’s medical treatment.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar described his death as creating a painful void in Nigeria’s creative community, noting that Ogogo used his career to tell stories that reflected Nigerian society.
Even the traditional institution mourned.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, described Ogogo as a giant of the Nigerian entertainment industry and a custodian of Yoruba cultural heritage.
And from the highest office in the land came another tribute.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described Ogogo as a gifted artiste who used his talent to tell Nigerian stories, preserve the nation’s cultural heritage and entertain audiences at home and abroad.
The President said his death was a great loss to his family, the Yoruba film industry, Nollywood and Nigeria’s creative community.
That is perhaps the most fitting description of Ogogo’s contribution.
He told our stories.
And in telling them, he helped preserve a part of us.
The health warning we must not ignore
Ogogo’s death has also opened an uncomfortable but necessary conversation about cancer awareness.
It is important not to speculate about the exact circumstances of his diagnosis or suggest that his cancer was necessarily misdiagnosed. His family has not publicly disclosed the specific type of cancer.
But the discussion has raised a serious warning for Nigerians.
Following Ogogo’s death, Nigerian medical doctor and health educator Aproko Doctor warned that some cancers can present symptoms that resemble ordinary conditions such as ulcer.
Persistent stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing and getting unusually full quickly should not simply be dismissed or repeatedly self-treated as ulcer symptoms. Aproko Doctor stressed that such symptoms do not automatically mean cancer, but they deserve proper medical evaluation when they persist or return despite treatment.
That message is worth repeating:
Not every stomach pain is cancer. But not every stomach pain should automatically be called ulcer either.
Sometimes the body whispers before it screams.
And when symptoms keep returning, the answer should not always be another round of the same medication.
See a qualified healthcare professional. Ask questions. Get properly investigated. Where necessary, seek a second medical opinion.
Early detection can make a difference in many cancers, and persistent symptoms deserve proper attention.
Ogogo’s passing should therefore not create panic.
It should create awareness.
More than an actor
Ogogo’s greatest achievement may not be a particular award, film or character.
It may be the generations of people who saw themselves in his work.
He helped strengthen Yoruba-language cinema.
He preserved language and cultural expressions.
He mentored and inspired younger performers.
He built a career that stretched across theatre, film and television.
He produced and directed.
He earned major recognition, including the Best Actor honour at THEMA 97 for Owo Blow.
He became one of the most recognisable faces of Yoruba cinema.
And perhaps most importantly, he remained Ogogo to millions.
A man whose face could appear on a television screen and suddenly a room became quiet.
A man whose character could make you laugh.
A man who could make you angry.
A man who could break your heart.
A man whose presence reminded an entire generation of the golden years of Yoruba home videos and theatre.
That is not an ordinary legacy.
The final curtain
There is a cruel irony in the life of an actor.
You spend your years pretending to die on screen.
You fall.
You rise.
You cry.
You fight.
You return in another scene.
But one day, the director says cut and there is no next scene.
For Taiwo Hassan, that day came on August 23.
The cameras have stopped rolling.
The costumes have been removed.
The scripts have been closed.
The stage is empty.
But the work remains.
The films remain.
The memories remain.
The language remains.
The laughter remains.
And somewhere, in homes across Nigeria and among Nigerians scattered around the world, an old Ogogo movie will play again.
Someone will laugh.
Someone will quote one of his lines.
Someone will say, “This man was a great actor.”
And for a few minutes, Ogogo will live again.
That is the strange immortality of art.
The man leaves.
The work stays.
Sleep well, Taiwo Hassan.
Sleep well, Ogogo.
You came, you played your part, you entertained us, you carried your culture with pride, and you left your fingerprints on an industry that will not be quite the same without you.
ÌKÚ ÀTẸ̀YÌN-WÁ , A Yoruba farewell
“Bí a bá ń sunkún, a ò gbọdọ̀ gbàgbé pé ayé ni àlejò.”
Even as we mourn, we must remember that life is only a temporary journey.
“Ogogo, ọmọ Ilaro, ọmọ ẹni tí ó mọ́ ìtàn, ẹni tí ó gbé àṣà Yorùbá ga a dúpẹ́ fún ohun tí o fi sílẹ̀ fún wa.”
Ogogo, son of Ilaro, custodian of stories, a man who lifted Yoruba culture high — we thank you for what you left behind for us.
“Àgbà kì í kú, àgbà ń lọ sí òrún. Ìrántí rẹ̀ á máa wà pẹ́.”
An elder never truly dies; an elder only journeys to the great beyond. Your memory will endure.
“Ọ̀nà rẹ ṣí, ilẹ̀ sì tú.”
May your path be open and may the earth receive you gently.
Sun re, Ogogo.
Rest well, Ogogo.
Aṣọ tí o hun fún wa ti péjú. Àròsọ rẹ ti parí. Ṣùgbọ́n ìtàn rẹ kò ní parí.
The cloth you wove for us is complete. Your performance has ended. But your story will never end.
May Allah forgive your shortcomings, accept your soul and grant you Aljannah Firdaus.
Àgbà tí ó lọ, a ò ní gbàgbé rẹ.
The elder who has departed, we will not forget you.
References
The Guardian Nigeria:Taiwo Hassan buried in Ilaro amid tears and tributes� — Covers the burial, tributes from colleagues and public figures, and the actor’s cultural legacy
Vanguard: Taiwo Hassan ‘Ogogo’ buried in Ilaro amid tears and tributes� — Reports on the funeral, attendance by leading Nollywood figures, Ogun State Government’s tribute and Mr Latin’s comments.
The Nation: Tinubu pays tribute to late actor Ogogo� — Reports President Bola Tinubu’s tribute and his assessment of Ogogo’s contribution to Nigeria’s creative industry.
Punch: Cancer can mimic ulcers, Aproko Doctor warns following Ogogo’s passing� — Provides the health-awareness discussion surrounding persistent stomach symptoms and the dangers of assuming recurring symptoms are simply ulcer.
