Veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, was laid to rest in Ilaro, Ogun State, on Monday, August 24, 2026, as family members, Muslim leaders, residents and leading figures from the Yoruba film industry gathered to honour the 66-year-old actor less than 24 hours after his death.

The burial followed Islamic rites, with funeral prayers held at the Asade Agunloye Pavilion Ground in Ilaro, the actor’s hometown.

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The Ilaro Muslim Community had announced that the Janazah prayer would take place at 10am, while a separate announcement by veteran actor Jide Kosoko placed the lying-in-state ceremony at 11am.

Ogogo died at about 3pm on Sunday, August 23, at the age of 66, according to a statement announced by Jide Kosoko. His remains were subsequently moved to Ilaro ahead of Monday’s funeral.

The atmosphere in Ilaro was deeply emotional as mourners gathered to pay their final respects to a performer whose career spanned more than four decades and whose work became closely associated with Yoruba-language cinema.

Among the Nollywood figures who arrived in Ilaro were Yinka Quadri, Jide Kosoko, Toyosi Adesanya, Ireti Osayemi and Bisi Omo Logbalogba.

Other reports from the burial also identified Mr Latin, Dele Odule, Olaiya Igwe, Faithia Balogun and Kolawole Ajeyemi among the actors who converged on the town.

For Yinka Quadri, one of Ogogo’s closest colleagues and friends, the farewell was particularly painful.

Quadri was seen crying as fellow mourners attempted to console him, an emotional moment that captured the depth of the loss within the Yoruba film community.

Jide Kosoko, who announced Ogogo’s death and helped communicate the family’s burial arrangements, was also present for the final rites.

His involvement reflected the longstanding relationship between the two veteran actors and their wider place within Nigeria’s film industry.

Actor Bola Oyin-Adejobi also paid tribute to Ogogo ahead of the burial, praying for the deceased to attain Al-Jannah Firdaus.

The funeral came only days after Ogogo’s family disclosed the severity of his health condition.

The family had revealed that the actor was battling stage-four cancer and appealed for medical assistance as his condition deteriorated.

Reports said doctors had informed the family that chemotherapy could no longer be administered, prompting efforts to explore other treatment options.

Ogogo’s death therefore brought an abrupt end to the career of one of Yoruba cinema’s most recognisable figures.

The Ilaro-born actor was known not only for acting but also for filmmaking, directing and traditional chant performance.

His work helped preserve elements of Yoruba language and culture on screen, while his distinctive performances made him a familiar figure to generations of Nigerian film audiences.

The Ogun State Government has described his death as a monumental loss to the state, Nigeria’s creative industry and the wider nation.

The timing of the burial also reflected the requirements of Islamic funeral practice, with the actor’s remains taken to his hometown shortly after his death and the funeral arranged for the following day.

The Ilaro Muslim Community led the burial prayers and called on Allah to forgive his shortcomings and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus.

For the residents of Ilaro and Ogogo’s colleagues across Nollywood, Monday’s ceremony was more than a funeral. It was a poignant farewell to a veteran who spent decades helping shape Yoruba cinema.

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As prayers gave way to final farewells, the grief among his colleagues and admirers underscored the profound impact of Taiwo Hassan’s career and the difficult reality of losing one of the industry’s enduring figures at 66.