One of the most beloved veterans of Yoruba cinema is fighting for his life. Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and his daughters Lima and Kira Taiwo have made separate emotional video appeals on Instagram asking Nigerians, cancer specialists, and medical facilities to urgently help their 66-year-old father access the treatment he needs.
The family's appeals came after hospitals allegedly stopped treating the actor, including declining to continue chemotherapy. Doctors have assessed his current condition and concluded that he is not fit to fly, ruling out the option of travelling abroad for treatment despite the family having a valid Indian visa and financial support in place. The family is not looking for money. They are looking for an oncologist or specialist willing to manage his care locally in Nigeria, or any credible lead on treatment, whether through conventional medicine or alternative therapies.
Kira stressed the family's appeal was not about finances: "Please we are begging you, if you know who can treat him, hospital is saying that they can't give him chemo. Please help my dad, we are not here to beg for money at all, money is not the problem, we just need where they can treat him and it gets well, please give him a chance."
Lima, fighting back tears in her own video, said the family only became aware of the full severity of his condition about three weeks ago, and that his outward appearance had not indicated how serious the illness was. She also revealed that the actor has been expressing fear about dying. "He's saying that he doesn't want to die. Please, I've never seen my daddy in that kind of pain before," Kira said.
In a previous interview on Oyinmomo TV, Taiwo Hassan had opened up about a seven-year battle with a strange illness, revealing that he could not eat anything except pap and had gone from place to place receiving different treatments. What was not yet fully understood at the time has now been confirmed as stage 4 cancer.
Taiwo Hassan is one of the most recognisable figures in Yoruba cinema, with a career spanning more than four decades and over 300 films to his credit. He has built a reputation as one of the industry's most respected veteran actors, a man whose face and voice have been part of Nigerian living rooms for generations.
Anyone with information about cancer treatment facilities, oncologists, or specialists who can help should contact Kira Taiwo directly on Instagram at @kirataiwo_ or by phone and WhatsApp at 07031328196.
