Veteran Yoruba Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has died at the age of 66, days after his family publicly disclosed that he was battling stage-four cancer.
LAGOS, Nigeria — August 23, 2026 — Veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, widely known by his stage name Ogogo, has died at the age of 66.
His daughter, Kira Taiwo, confirmed his death during a live social-media broadcast on Sunday, according to The Guardian Nigeria.
The confirmation came days after Ogogo’s family revealed that the veteran Yoruba actor was battling stage-four cancer and appealed for access to medical specialists and treatment options.
Jide Kosoko also confirms Ogogo’s death
Veteran actor Jide Kosoko also announced Ogogo’s death on Sunday.
According to TVC News, Kosoko said Hassan died at about 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 23, 2026.
TVC News also reported that Ogogo’s remains were expected to be taken to his hometown of Ilaro, Ogun State, with a laying-in-state ceremony scheduled for Monday.
Tribune Online also reported the actor’s death and said tributes had begun coming in from colleagues and fans across Nigeria.
Family had revealed stage-four cancer battle
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BREAKING: Veteran Nollywood Actor Taiwo Hassan ‘Ogogo’ Dies at 66
Aug 23, 2026
Aug 23, 2026
4 min read
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Veteran Yoruba Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has died at the age of 66, days after his family publicly disclosed that he was battling stage-four cancer.
LAGOS, Nigeria — August 23, 2026 — Veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, widely known by his stage name Ogogo, has died at the age of 66.
His daughter, Kira Taiwo, confirmed his death during a live social-media broadcast on Sunday, according to The Guardian Nigeria.
The confirmation came days after Ogogo’s family revealed that the veteran Yoruba actor was battling stage-four cancer and appealed for access to medical specialists and treatment options.
Jide Kosoko also confirms Ogogo’s death
Veteran actor Jide Kosoko also announced Ogogo’s death on Sunday.
According to TVC News, Kosoko said Hassan died at about 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 23, 2026.
TVC News also reported that Ogogo’s remains were expected to be taken to his hometown of Ilaro, Ogun State, with a laying-in-state ceremony scheduled for Monday.
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Tribune Online also reported the actor’s death and said tributes had begun coming in from colleagues and fans across Nigeria.
Family had revealed stage-four cancer battle
Ogogo’s health had become a major public concern only days before his death.
His daughters, Kira and Lima Taiwo, publicly disclosed that their father was battling stage-four cancer and appealed to medical specialists and advanced treatment centres that might be able to assist him.
According to Tribune Online, the family said they were seeking access to specialists rather than asking the public for financial donations.
Members of the Yoruba film industry later gathered in Lagos for a prayer session for the veteran actor as concern over his condition grew.
Earlier Ogogo death report was false
Sunday’s confirmation is separate from an earlier death rumor that circulated on August 18.
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At the time, Ogogo’s daughter Lima publicly rejected claims that her father had died and urged people to stop spreading the report.
Punch reported on August 18 that the family described the earlier social-media claim as false while confirming that the actor was seriously ill.
The new announcement on August 23 therefore represents a fresh family confirmation of his death, five days after the earlier false report.
Ogogo leaves behind more than four decades in Nigerian cinema
Born on October 31, 1959, in Ilaro, Ogun State, Taiwo Hassan built a career spanning more than four decades and became one of the most recognisable faces in Yoruba-language cinema.
According to a Guardian profile of the actor, he began acting in 1981 while still working as an automobile mechanic and later left his government job in 1994 to concentrate fully on acting.
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His performance in Tade Ogidan’s Owo Blow helped establish him as a major figure in Nigerian film.
Ogogo later appeared in productions including Omo Ghetto, Tenant of the House, Bank Alert and Kunle Afolayan’s Aníkúlápó, in which he played Alaafin Ademuyiwa.
His work in Aníkúlápó earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
Ogogo also worked as a producer, director and screenwriter during his long career, contributing to the growth of Yoruba cinema across several generations.
His death marks the loss of one of the veteran performers who helped shape the modern Yoruba film industry and remained active as Nollywood expanded to new audiences in Nigeria and internationally.
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