Veteran Yoruba Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has been admitted to an operating theatre as doctors intensify efforts to treat his stage-four cancer, according to a fresh update from actress Toyosi Adesanya.
The development marks a crucial turn in a story that first broke on August 17, when Ogogo’s daughters, Lima and Kira Taiwo, made an emotional public appeal after they said hospitals had stopped administering chemotherapy to their father. In a widely shared video, one of the daughters explained that the family was not seeking financial donations but urgently needed a hospital or medical professional willing to take on his case, describing how symptoms had escalated with alarming speed.
The appeal set off an outpouring of support across the Nollywood community. Filmmaker and actor Femi Adebayo led calls for assistance, urging Nigerians and medical professionals to help the family connect with specialists and treatment centres capable of reviewing Ogogo’s medical records. Actress Toyin Abraham, Odunlade Adekola, and Sola Sobowale were among the other prominent industry figures who publicly rallied behind the veteran actor in the days that followed.
According to Adesanya’s latest update, Ogun State governorship aspirant Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, personally reached out to top cancer specialists on the family’s behalf, a development the family says has now led to Ogogo being admitted for treatment. The news brings a measure of relief after a tense few days that included false reports of the actor’s death, which his daughter Haleemah moved quickly to debunk, urging the public to stop spreading unverified news.
Ogogo, born in Ilaro, Ogun State, in 1959, has been a fixture of Yoruba-language cinema since 1981, best known for his commanding screen presence in films including Owo Blow. As one of the industry’s most enduring cultural icons, the news of his illness has struck a particular chord across the Nollywood community, with fans and colleagues alike continuing to await further updates on his condition.
