The Nigerian film industry has been thrown into mourning following the death of actress Tope Osoba, who passed away after a battle with breast cancer.
Osoba’s death was announced on Wednesday by her colleague, actress Foluke Daramola, in a post shared on her Instagram page.
The actress had publicly appealed for financial assistance in November 2024 after undergoing her first breast cancer surgery.
At the time, Daramola disclosed that although Osoba had successfully undergone an initial operation, she required a second surgery to remove the remaining cancerous particles from her breast, a procedure estimated to cost about ₦12 million.
Sharing a video of Osoba during a hospital examination, Daramola revealed that the actress had also sought support from the President of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Bolaji Amusan, as she struggled to raise funds for her treatment.
In an earlier interview with BBC News Yoruba, Osoba recounted how she discovered a lump in her breast during a routine self-examination. She said a doctor initially dismissed the lump as being related to her childbearing age.
However, the actress insisted on further medical checks, which eventually confirmed that the lump was cancerous.
Describing the moment she received the diagnosis, Osoba said: “It was one of the worst days of my life.”
Her death has sparked an outpouring of grief from colleagues, fans and well-wishers, who have taken to social media to pay tribute to the actress and celebrate her contributions to Nollywood.
Further details surrounding her death are yet to be officially disclosed.
