Kira and Haleemah, the daughters of veteran actor and screenwriter Taiwo “Ogogo” Hassan, have revealed that their father is battling Stage 4 cancer and appealed for support as the family seeks treatment options.
The actor’s daughters disclosed his condition in tearful videos posted on their respective Instagram pages on Monday night.
They said several hospitals had refused to treat their father and appealed to individuals and organisations that could provide medical or traditional treatment to assist the family.
Kira said, “I’m here for my daddy. He has cancer, and he’s in stage 4. The hospital is saying that they cannot treat him again; they can’t give him chemo again. So please, we are not here to beg for money. I really love to appreciate Senator Yayi. He has been the one helping us; he has been the one footing the bills. What I’m here for is that if you can treat my daddy, if you can start chemo for him, whether it’s medical or herbs, please, I beg you.
“My daddy doesn’t want to die. He’s in pain. He’s not happy. Please, please, if you know anybody who can treat him natively or medically, I beg you, please, don’t let my daddy die. Any help, anybody that you know that can treat cancer, please, I’m begging you, please, you can send me a DM or my sister, or even his own DM, my sister will be able to get you to his phone.”
He doesn’t want to die
Meanwhile, Haleemah said she could not bear to lose her father and urged anyone who could offer help to contact her or her sister directly.
She revealed that doctors discovered her father had cancer three weeks ago, adding that he desperately wanted to live.
“He has cancer, and it is very serious. The hospitals are refusing to treat him, and nobody is willing to do anything. We are not here to ask for money—that is not what this is about —but if you know someone who knows someone who can help, please reach out. This man has a strong will to live. If you saw him right now, you would not believe anything was wrong.
“It has only just started to show. We did not even know the full extent of it until three days ago. Please, if you know anyone willing to treat him, we are ready to try anything. Just give him a chance. My big uncle, Yayi, has helped; nobody knows he’ll show up for us this way. I can’t watch my daddy die”, said Haleemah.
Ogogo
Ogogo’s most recent film appearance was in “Oye Agba”, where he starred alongside Olaniyan Tosin, Jaye Kuti and others.
He began his acting career in 1981 after working as a mechanic. In 1994, he left his job with the water corporation to pursue acting full-time.
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Over the years, Ogogo has featured in several films, including “Atitebi”, “Agbelebu”, “Agbo-Odaju”, “Danfo Driver”, “Amerah”, “Aníkúlápó”, “Bank Alert”, “IGE”, “Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre”, among others.
As of press time, PREMIUM TIMES could not reach the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) for confirmation.
The newspaper contacted TAMPAN’s national president, veteran comic actor Bolaji “Mr Latin” Amusan, by phone, but he did not answer or respond to a message sent to him.
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