The family of late veteran Nollywood actor Alhaji Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has announced two remaining burial programs following his interment in Ilaro, Ogun State, as tributes continue to pour in from the Nigerian entertainment community.
Veteran actor Prince Jide Kosoko disclosed the programs on behalf of the family in a Facebook post, also expressing the family’s appreciation for the large turnout at the burial, which took place on Monday.
The family stated that the presence of fans, friends, colleagues, associates, and well-wishers at the burial reflected the love and respect held for Ogogo during his lifetime, and it thanked all who made the journey to Ilaro to pay their respects.
“Your massive presence at the burial was a great demonstration of the love and respect you had for Ogogo while he was alive. We sincerely appreciate every one of you,” the family stated.
The family also prayed for the continued blessings and protection of those who supported them through the mourning period, invoking divine favor on all who stood by them during this difficult time.
“May Allah reward you abundantly, bless you and your families, and ensure that no calamity comes upon you in your lifetime,” the family added in the statement relayed by Kosoko.
The first of the two announced events is the 8th-day Fidau Prayer, an Islamic funeral rite traditionally held days after burial to pray for the soul of the deceased and seek divine mercy on his behalf.
The 8th-day Fidau is scheduled to be held on Monday, August 31, in Ilaro, and the family has invited Ogogo’s friends, colleagues, fans, and well-wishers to attend and pray for the repose of his soul.
The family urged sympathizers to “come en masse to Ilaro” to seek Almighty Allah’s forgiveness for the late actor and pray for the grant of Al-Jannah Firdaus, the highest level of paradise in Islamic belief, for him.
The second event is a 40-day Artists’ Day in honor of Ogogo, scheduled to take place 40 days after his burial at Pavilion Hall, Ilaro, bringing together figures from across the Nigerian entertainment industry.
The Artists’ Day will feature performances by actors, musicians, comedians, singers, and other entertainers as they celebrate Ogogo’s life, career, and contributions to the entertainment industry over several decades.
Kosoko described the event as “a tradition and a fitting tribute from members of the entertainment industry to one of our great icons, whose contributions to the industry will not be forgotten.”
The Theatre Arts and Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria, known as TAMPAN, will coordinate the 40-day Artists’ Day event, according to the family’s announcement carried in Kosoko’s post.
Ogogo died on Sunday, August 23, after battling stage four cancer, bringing to an end a career that spanned decades and earned him widespread recognition as one of Nigeria’s most celebrated Yoruba-language film and theater actors.
His burial in Ilaro on Monday drew a significant crowd of industry colleagues, fans, and associates, with the turnout drawing widespread comment from within and outside the Nigerian entertainment community in the days that followed.
The announcement of the 8th-day Fidau and the 40-day Artists’ Day gives the entertainment community two formal occasions to mourn and celebrate Ogogo’s life and legacy in the weeks ahead, honoring both his faith and his professional standing.
TAMPAN’s coordination of the Artists’ Day places the event within a longstanding industry tradition of honoring deceased practitioners with a collective cultural program that draws performers from across genres and disciplines.
The family’s statement, delivered through Kosoko, closed by reaffirming gratitude to all who supported them and by calling on Ogogo’s admirers across Nigeria to make the journey to Ilaro for the Fidau Prayer on Monday to honor the late actor.
