Akeem Lasisi
After a protracted battle with an unspecified disease, veteran actress, Iyabo Oko (Sidikatu Odunkanwi), has passed on.
In the past two yeas or so, she had fought hard to stay alive but death has again proved that it is a heartless reaper – not minding the extent its target might have struggled to remain on earth.
Oko’s death, confirmed on Thursday by one of her daughters, Bisi Aisha, came not long after Nigeria, the Yoruba especially, lost some other actors that included Murphy Afolabi, Dejo Tunfulu and Fadeyi Oloro.
The actress’ death particularly has a semblance with that of Fadeyi (Ojo Arowosafe), in the sense that they came after protracted illnesses.
The same as Baba Suwe (Babatunde Omidina), Ogun Majek (Gbolagade Akinpelu) and Pa Kasumu (Kayode Odumosu).
Iyabo Oko was a dedicated and thoroughbred artist who started acting from the stage. She was, indeed, one of those you would refer to as a natural actor: highly talented, down to earth and always doing it first for the love she had for the trade.
The way a Jacob (Tajudeen Gbadamosi) exploited his uniquely low status to brew humour, Iyabo Oko dedicated her enormous backside to spin laughter on the stage and screen.
In her, therefore, the Nigerian movie industry has lost one of those that can be described as irreplaceable: to total artists.
Meanwhile, Aisha said her mother died on Wednesday evening after battling the unknown ailmen.
