By Ghazali Ibrahim
The death of veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has renewed attention on Nigerian actors and actresses who lost their lives after battling cancer.
Ogogo, who died on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at the age of 66, had reportedly been diagnosed with stage-four cancer shortly before his death.
His daughters, Kira and Haleemah, had appealed for medical assistance after doctors reportedly said his condition had become difficult to treat. However, the specific type of cancer was not publicly disclosed.
His death has brought back memories of several Nollywood stars who fought different forms of cancer before their deaths.
Among those whose cancer battles and deaths have been made public are:
1. Alexx Ekubo
Popular actor Alexx Ekubo died on May 11, 2026, at the age of 40.
His family later confirmed that he died at Evercare Hospital in Lagos from complications arising from advanced metastatic kidney cancer.
Ekubo was known for films including Weekend Getaway, Lagos Cougars, The Bling Lagosians, Omo Ghetto: The Saga and A Sunday Affair. His illness had largely remained private until his death.
2. Tom Njemanze
Veteran actor Tom Njemanze died in July 2025 at the age of 75 after battling prostate cancer.
Before his death, colleagues and members of the public appealed for financial assistance to support his treatment.
Njemanze was known for his roles in popular productions including Issakaba, Osuofia in London, Pounds and Dollars and Brain Box.
3. Stella Ikwuegbu
Veteran actress Stella Ikwuegbu died on June 16, 2024, after battling what colleagues described as leg cancer.
She was a familiar face in Nollywood, particularly in roles portraying mothers and elderly women.
Her death was announced by filmmaker Stanley Nwoko, who paid tribute to her contribution to the Nigerian film industry.
4. Ethel Ekpe
Ethel Ekpe, best known for playing Segi in the popular television sitcom Basi and Company, died in February 2024 after battling cancer.
The specific type of cancer was not publicly disclosed.
Ekpe also featured in productions including Amaka Igwe’s Forever, Sons of the Caliphate and Speak the Word.
5. Karibi Fubara
Actor and producer Karibi Fubara died on December 15, 2021, following a battle with kidney cancer.
Fubara disclosed in 2020 that doctors had discovered a large, mid-stage kidney tumour. He subsequently underwent surgery in which about 90 per cent of the tumour was removed.
He later featured in productions including God Calling, Smart Money Woman, Castle and Castle and Quam’s Money.
6. Sadiq Daba
Veteran actor and broadcaster Sadiq Daba died on March 3, 2021, after battling leukaemia and prostate cancer.
Daba had publicly spoken about his health struggles and received financial support from Nigerians during his treatment in Nigeria and abroad.
He became widely known for his role in Cockcrow at Dawn and later played Inspector Waziri in Kunle Afolayan’s October 1, a performance that earned him the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor.
7. Doris Chima
Veteran actress Doris Chima died in August 2021 after battling breast cancer for more than six years.
The actress, who was a foundation member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, had undergone treatment for the disease before her death.
Her death was confirmed by Emeka Rising Ibe, then chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria.
8. Ify Onwuemene
Ifeyinwa Onwuemene, popularly known as Ify Onwuemene, died on May 25, 2021, after battling stage-four endometrial cancer.
She underwent surgery, including the removal of her womb, and several chemotherapy sessions during her treatment.
Onwuemene became popular for playing the wife of Sam Loco Efe’s character in the television series Everyday People.
9. Aisha Abimbola
Yoruba actress Aisha Abimbola, popularly known as Omoge Campus, died in Canada in May 2018 after battling breast cancer.
She rose to fame following her appearance in the 2001 film Omoge Campus and later featured in movies including No Pain, No Gain, Awerijaye and So Wrong So Right.
She was a mother of two.
10. Remi Abiola
Veteran Nigerian actress Remi Abiola died in New York in July 2009 after battling cancer.
Several reports identified lung cancer as the illness that claimed her life.
Abiola was also known for her work as an actress, director and producer and was married to the late businessman and politician Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
11. Bukola Iyabo Osadare
Nollywood actress Bukola Iyabo Osadare died in November 2019 after a prolonged battle with breast cancer.
Reports at the time said she had been diagnosed with the disease months before her death and that efforts had been made to raise money for her treatment.
She was remembered as an actress and makeup artist who had worked in the Nigerian film industry.
12. Temitope Osoba
Temitope Osoba, a Yoruba Nollywood actress, died in August 2026 at the age of 40.
Osoba had publicly disclosed her battle with breast cancer and undergone surgery. Reports showed that she died after battling the disease.
However, her case requires caution. Her fiancé, Prophet Itunu Onadeko, later disputed reports that she died from cancer, alleging that she died at a police station in Ikorodu.
Her family also gave an account of her final days that raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her death.
13. Sound Sultan
Veteran Nigerian singer and actor Sound Sultan, whose real name was Olanrewaju Fasasi, died on July 11, 2021, at the age of 44 after battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
His family confirmed that he had died after a “hard-fought battle” with the disease.
Sound Sultan, who was known for his socially conscious music and appearances in Nollywood productions, joined the list of Nollywood stars who succumbed to the cancer battle.
