Like a candle in the wind, the Yoruba movie industry has seen a number of thespians whose lives were cut short, by the cold hands of death. And amongst the talented movie stars who came, saw, but cannot be said to have lived long enough to conquer, were some of the beautiful faces that have lighted up the television screens of movie buffs in Nigeria, and even beyond. While the Yoruba movie stars who passed on, at different points in the past, were made up of both actors and actresses, so to speak, the interest of this narrative is on beautiful Yoruba actresses who died in their prime. In other words, some of the lovely actresses that death took off the scene, when they still had so much more to offer their industry.
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This, is definitely going to be a long journey down the memory lane. Because, Yoruba actresses who passed on long time ago, but made a lot of impacts on the audience while they lived, are part of this narrative. And some of those who also came on the scene, long after them, are also in this piece such that, they could all be remembered together, by the fans of Yoruba movies. Hence, that takes this narrative to a beautiful Yoruba actress, Rebecca Adebimpe Adekola, who popularly known as Ireti in the movie industry. Ireti was one of the early set of Yoruba actresses in the home video era, to make waves in the industry. The dark complexioned actress who went through the crucible of training in the Odunfa Caucaus of the Yoruba movie industry under the tutelage of Yinka Quadri, Taiwo Hassan and Abbey Lanre, was one of the best of her kind when it came to interpreting movie roles.
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Some of the movies in which Ireti took part in, and gave a good account of herself included: ” Agba Akin”, ” Olaoniran”, “23/24 Loro Ile Aye”, “Alamu Seniyan”, ” Enikan O Laye”, “Edunjobi”, “Afinju Alapata”, “Sikira Ereko” and “Aye Awa Obinrin” which was unfortunately, the last movie she took part in before her death. Ireti died after a brief illness resulting from some complications suspected to be from typhoid fever, on Friday, 27th September, 2002. Funmi Martins was another beautiful Yoruba actress who died in her prime. The mother of an equally beautiful Yoruba actress, Mide Martins Abiodun, was one of the talented thespians that entertained movie buffs, while she lived.
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And some of the movies she took part in included: “Nemesis” an English movie directed by Fidelis Duker, as well as other Yoruba movies like: ” Eto Mi”, ” Pelumi”, “Ija Omode”, “Eru Eleru”, and few other ones. As a matter of fact, Funmi Martins, according to findings, was on location in Ikorodu, Lagos State, working on Antar Laniyan’s movie titled: “Aduro Ti Oluwa”, two weeks before her death. She died on May 6th, 2002, and medical report put the cause of death to be cardiac arrest. Another beautiful Yoruba actress that fell to the cold hands of death in her prime was Bisi Komolafe.
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Also a product of the Odunfa Caucaus of the Yoruba movie industry, Bisi Komolafe was a beautiful and promising actress who was meant for the top in the industry. The actress who became prominent through her roles in the movies such as “Igboro Ti Daru”, ” Omo Ghetto”, and ” Eja Tutu”, was said to have been sick for months without public knowledge. According to Yinka Quadri, her direct boss in the movie industry, when he saw her last, he became so worried that he had to reach out to the elders of their association then, Association of Nigerian Theatre Practioners (ANTP), on the need to raise funds for her, because she was running out of money. And the President of the ANTP then, Jide Kosoko, was reportedly, rallying round people to raise money when she finally gave up the ghost between the night of December 31st, 2012, and morning of January 1st, 2013.
Moji Olaiya was another beautiful Yoruba actress who died when she still had so much more, to offer the industry. She started her acting career with Wale Adenuga’s Super Story, precisely in the “No Pains No Gains” series in which she played the role of Ireti. And from that point, her career began to blossom. She featured prominently in both Yoruba and English genres of Nollywood movies, and some of the movies in which she gave a good account of herself in included: “Aje Nile Olokun”, “Ojiji Aye”, ” Apaadi”, “Omo Iya Meta Leyi”, “Nkan Adun”, “Sade Blade”, and “Agunbaniro”, to mention a few. Moji Olaiya died on May 17th, 2017, of cardiac arrest in Canada.
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Aishat Abimbola popularly known as Omoge Campus, was another beautiful Yoruba Nollywood actress who died in her prime. The talented actress came into acting when she was rounding off her Higher National Diploma (HND) programme at the Lagos State Polytechnic and Wale Adenuga Productions came to her school to shoot. The director, Antar Laniyan, was said to be waiting for a cast member when Abimbola walked up to him to ask for a role in the movie. Antar Laniyan then offered her the role of the absent actress. And that was how her career started with Antar Laniyan becoming her mentor. The movie that shot her into limelight was titled: “Omoge Campus”, and she featured in other indigenous and non-indegenous productions like: “No Pains, No Gains”, “Awerijaye”, “So Wrong So Right” and ” Kamson and Neighbours”, to mention a few.
Abimbola made her debut, as a movie producer with a 2016 movie titled: ” T’omi T’eje” which she did its premiere in Atlanta, United States of America. She died in Canada on May 15th, 2018, of breast cancer.
May their souls keep resting in peace. Amen.
