Veteran Nollywood actor Yinka Quadri has recalled his final meeting with his close friend and colleague, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, revealing how the then-ailing actor reassured him from his hospital bed that he would recover.
Ogogo died on Sunday at 66 after battling Stage 4 cancer and was buried the following day at his residence in Ilaro, Ogun State, according to Islamic rites.
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Distraught Quadri, who had broken down at his longtime friend’s graveside, shared his first extensive public tribute following the funeral in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
Quadri, also 66, described Ogogo as his “twin brother from heaven”, reflecting on a friendship that began in 1984 and grew beyond their shared careers in the Yoruba cinema.
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Recalling their last meeting, Quadri said he became emotional upon seeing Ogogo in his hospital bed.
“Taiwo Hassan, I will never forget the last time I saw you at the hospital. You were lying on your sick bed, and when I saw you, I could not hold back my tears,” he wrote.
According to him, Ogogo tried to reassure him, saying, “Yinka, don’t cry. Nothing bad will happen to me.”
Quadri said he responded, “Yes, Amen.”
Hope of recovery
Quadri said what happened moments later strengthened his belief that his friend could recover.
He recalled Ogogo asking him for a bottle of water from a nearby table and drinking from it. The actor then pointed out that he had also eaten that morning and asked the doctors to confirm it.
Quadri said the development gave him renewed hope, particularly after the doctors advised them to remain prayerful.
“At that moment, I said, ‘Glory be to God.’ My hope and faith became even stronger,” he said.
However, Ogogo died shortly afterwards.
Quadri said he knew his friend would not have willingly chosen to leave his children, family, friends, and admirers. He acknowledged that death was ultimately beyond human control.
He said Ogogo’s passing reminded him that every life eventually comes to an end and that those left behind could not question God’s will.
The actor said he was instead grateful for the life his friend lived and the memories he left behind.
‘Twins from heaven’
Beyond their careers as prominent figures in Yoruba-language cinema, Quadri and Ogogo shared a friendship spanning more than four decades.
Quadri traced their relationship to 1984, saying it gradually developed into something deeper than an ordinary friendship.
Their relationship had also been the subject of periodic speculation over the years, particularly rumours that the two veteran actors had fallen out.
Quadri acknowledged that they had disagreements but said neither man publicly disparaged the other or allowed their differences to destroy their relationship.
He recalled how people sometimes expected tension whenever they met at public events after rumours of a disagreement, only to find them sitting together, talking, laughing and walking side by side.
The same, he said, happened on movie sets.
Quadri also recalled an occasion when Yoruba traditional chanter Ajobiewe addressed them at a party over an assumed disagreement, leaving both actors wondering who had told him they were fighting.
“That was who we were. You were more than a friend to me. You were my brother, my confidant, and my companion.
“I have always said that we were twins from heaven, only born to different mothers.”
He added Ogogo’s death had created a void in his life, and that he would treasure memories of their journeys, film locations, laughter and even disagreements.
“Today, I understand even more deeply that some friendships are gifts from God — friendships that time, disagreements, rumours, and circumstances cannot destroy,” he said.
Final rites
Meanwhile, Ogogo’s family has announced further activities to honour the late actor following his burial on Monday.
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In a statement issued on behalf of the family by veteran actor Jide Kosoko on Wednesday, the family said Ogogo’s eighth-day Fidau prayer would be held on 31 August in Ilaro, Ogun State.
An Artists’ Day will also be held 40 days after his burial at Pavilion Hall in Ilaro.
The event, to be coordinated by the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), is expected to bring together actors, musicians, comedians, singers, and other entertainers for performances that celebrate Ogogo’s life and contributions.
The family also thanked colleagues, fans, and well-wishers who attended the actor’s burial and appealed for continued support during the mourning period.
Quadri, who was among the industry figures at the burial, prayed for the forgiveness of Ogogo’s shortcomings and for his soul to receive eternal rest.
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