Residents of Abule Egba have paid a special tribute to late veteran actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, in a touching display of love and respect.
Hundreds of fans and admirers gathered in the community to celebrate the actor’s life and mourn his passing. In a video shared online, images of Taiwo Hassan were displayed on a large screen as residents came together to pay their final respects.
The actor’s death was announced by his daughter in a live video after he reportedly battled stage four cancer. He was buried on Monday in the presence of several colleagues, including Yinka Quadri, Jide Kosoko, Ireti Osayemi, Femi Adebayo, Fausat Balogun, Faithia Williams, Saidi Balogun, Kolawole Ajeyemi, Segun Ogungbe and many others.
The tribute in Abule Egba further reflected the impact Taiwo Hassan had on the lives of many people. Fans described him as a man of the people whose influence remained strong even after his death.
Many social media users expressed their grief, with some saying they wished the actor had known how deeply he was loved while he was alive. Others praised his legacy and described his death as a painful reminder of the importance of living a good and meaningful life.
The emotional tributes have continued since his burial. A day later, his colleague, Sunday Afolabi, visited his graveside and spoke sadly about losing a man admired by many. He said they would have given everything possible to keep Taiwo Hassan alive if death could be bribed.
Afolabi also recalled the prayers and efforts made by colleagues during the actor’s illness, lamenting that their attempts to save him were unsuccessful.
Modinat Aramide Lawal, popularly known as Iya Dabira, also held a special prayer session for the late actor at her residence. At the funeral, Yinka Quadri was seen shedding tears, while Femi Adebayo became emotional during the premiere of his movie as he described Taiwo Hassan as a great man who fought bravely to stay alive.
Fuji musicians K1 and Malaika also broke down while performing in honour of the late veteran. Actress Bimbo Thomas, while mourning him, described his death as painful but acknowledged that God’s decision could not be questioned.
In another gesture of honour, Ogun State governorship candidate Senator Yayi erected billboards in Taiwo Hassan’s memory across the state.
During the actor’s illness, efforts were made to secure help from leading cancer specialists. However, moving him from the hospital to different locations for spiritual or traditional treatment became difficult because of the seriousness of his condition.
Shortly before his death, several colleagues, including Jide Kosoko, Yinka Quadri, Kaka Odunfa, Baba Eleso, Antar Laniyan, Fausat Balogun, Toyosi Adesanya and Lateef Adedimeji, gathered to pray for him.
Yinka Quadri later thanked members of the public for their support, revealing that hundreds of offers had come from spiritual and traditional healers. He urged people to continue praying and supporting the actor from wherever they were.
