A close friend of late veteran actor and screenwriter Taiwo “Ogogo” Hassan has revealed how persistent chest pain led to the discovery that he had stage-four cancer.
Azeez “Olu Ogogo” Onifade, who was friends with the actor for 25 years, said the diagnosis followed visits to several hospitals after the pain failed to subside.
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His account, published in an interview with City People on Wednesday, provides the clearest picture yet of the illness and the urgent efforts by the actor’s family and associates to secure treatment.
It has been a month since Ogogo died shortly after being diagnosed with the disease. He was subsequently buried at his residence in Ilaro, Ogun State.
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His daughters, Kira and Haleemah, had confirmed that their father was diagnosed with stage-four cancer, but did not disclose the type of cancer or how the illness was discovered.
Olu Ogogo, who also hails from Ilaro, said his friend first complained of chest pain during a trip to the town.
Rather than resorting to self-medication, he said they took the actor to a hospital used by his family in Ilaro, where he received treatment.
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Doctors advised him to rest after the treatment, and he complied. However, the pain persisted the following morning, prompting another hospital visit.
“The following morning, he said the pain was still there, so we drove from Ilaro to Apena Hospital in Ebute-Metta, Lagos. The doctor observed him and conducted a series of tests. He also gave some injections to reduce the pain.
“Later, he was even referred to another hospital, where we met one of our sisters from Ilaro, Mutiat. They did all they could, but we were later referred to LASUTH. That was where they later told us he had cancer. We felt so bad.
“It was Aunty Mutiat who called the king immediately, and the king informed Senator Yayi,” Olu Ogogo said.
Although the actor’s friend explained how the illness was discovered, the particular type of cancer remains undisclosed.
Planned treatment in India
Olu Ogogo said family members and friends gathered the day after the diagnosis to decide how to proceed with the actor’s treatment.
According to him, Solomon Adeola, a senator, popularly known as Yayi, suggested that Ogogo be taken to India for treatment.
However, delays in obtaining a visa stalled the proposed journey. By the time the visa was issued, the actor’s condition had deteriorated, and doctors reportedly declared him too weak to travel by air.
Olu Ogogo said the senator subsequently arranged for a doctor to travel from India to Nigeria to participate in the actor’s treatment.
“Senator Yayi flew in a doctor from India. The doctor suggested we move him to another hospital, so that same night, we took him to St Nicholas Hospital on Lagos Island, and they started treatment immediately.
“They brought in several specialists, and the treatment was going on fine. He was eating little by little until five days before his death, when everything changed.
“We thank God because I believe God made death easy for him. He didn’t allow him to go through much pain before taking him, probably because of his good deeds,” he said.
He described Ogogo as a genuinely good man with a free spirit and said his death remained a huge shock.
Acts of kindness
Olu Ogogo said one of the things he already missed most was the actor’s early-morning telephone calls.
He said their close relationship made the loss particularly difficult for him, adding that he did not expect to get over it quickly.
“I’m deeply hurt,” he said.
Recalling Ogogo’s generosity, Olu Ogogo narrated how the actor helped him complete the roofing of his house after visiting the building site in Ilaro.
“There was a day I took Ogogo to my site in Ilaro. He was surprised and almost shed tears. He asked me three times, ‘Ayinde, are you sure you are the owner of this house?’
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“He was so happy. He asked what was delaying the roofing. I told him I still needed N250,000 to balance the roof. He immediately wrote a cheque for N250,000 and said he would give me one week to roof the house,” he recalled.
He said the actor also used his connections to secure employment for his daughter and sponsored his Canadian visa application.
“He used his connections to secure a good job for my daughter. He secured a Canadian visa for me, paid all the expenses from A to Z, and bought several gifts for my children and me. How many will I count?” he said.
Olu Ogogo thanked those who supported him and his family during his illness, including Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu; Yayi, traditional rulers, and Ogogo’s colleagues in the film industry.
“May God rest his soul. I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who stood by us. Mrs Remi Tinubu played a motherly role; Senator Yayi did well. All the kabiyesis did well. All his colleagues did well.
“I pray that his soul rest in peace. It’s only God who can console me,” he said.
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