Veteran Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has died after battling stage-four cancer.
His daughter, Kira Hassan, confirmed his death in an emotional Instagram Live video on Sunday, saying, “My daddy is dead. I can’t believe it.”
The development was also announced by popular entertainment TV platform, Emiralty Africa, which posted, “Ogogo is dead!!!
We feel sad to announce the death of star filmmaker, Alhaji Taiwo Hassan Ogogo.”
Ogogo’s death came only hours after Kira had spoken publicly about the challenges surrounding her father’s illness and accused some individuals of attempting to profit from the family’s difficult situation.
During an emotional TikTok Live session on Saturday, she alleged that some people had approached the family with financial demands while offering assistance with the actor’s treatment.
“My father is a good father. Some people are even trying to make money with us in this whole situation. Fear God. This one will come and bring solution, N800k, N5m, 11,000 dollars, N18,000 dollars. Do you want to make us broke? We are not billionaires,” she said.
Kira explained that the family was focused on getting appropriate medical care for Ogogo and could not afford the financial demands allegedly being placed before them.
She also disclosed that the situation was taking a toll on her personally.
“I want to check my BP, I am not okay too,” she said.
The actor’s illness had also deeply affected members of his family, including his brother, whom Kira described as her “big daddy”.
According to her, members of the family regularly used a group chat to discuss Ogogo’s condition, where she recently saw a message indicating the extent of her uncle’s fear over the actor’s health.
“That was the video my big daddy saw and on the group chat, where we always have our discussion about daddy’s health, I saw my cousin wrote something like, my big daddy was asking ‘Is Taiye going to die?’” she said.
Kira said the bond between Ogogo and his brother was particularly strong and that the actor’s illness had been painful for the entire family.
“My big daddy and my daddy, we are the children, we don’t even know who they love more. We don’t even know if it is we who are being or themselves. It is too much. My big daddy loves my daddy too much,” she said.
She further expressed concern about the effect of Ogogo’s condition on her uncle.
“I am sure my big daddy is not okay, he is not fine. He is not fine. I don’t know,” Kira said.
‘I don’t know how I will see the world again’
Kira had also revealed that she stepped away from social media because seeing images of her father while he battled cancer was becoming increasingly difficult for her.
Reflecting on the possibility of losing Ogogo, she said she struggled to imagine how life would continue without him.
“I don’t know how I will feel. I don’t even know how I will see the world again. If anything happens to my daddy… Please don’t think I am here to ask for sympathy or anything,” she said.
Kira said she had initially gone online to “cool off”, but eventually became emotional because of the close relationship she shared with her father.
“I am so connected to my daddy. Nothing can be okay, ever. He just want the best for everybody. He just want everybody to be okay,” she said.
