The Nigerian film industry has been thrown into mourning following the death of Nollywood actress Tope Osoba at the age of 40 after her battle with breast cancer.
Actress Foluke Daramola announced the heartbreaking news on Wednesday in a post shared on her Instagram page.
She wrote, “She’s gone. Tope is gone, my baby is gone. Ha ha ha iku doro o.”
Osoba had appealed for financial assistance in November 2024 after undergoing her first breast cancer surgery.
At the time, Daramola revealed that although the actress had undergone an initial operation, she required a second procedure to remove the remaining cancerous particles from her breast. The surgery was estimated to cost about ₦12 million.
The late actress thanked those who contributed towards her treatment and appealed for additional support to enable her to undergo the second surgery.
Daramola also shared a video from Osoba’s hospital visit, disclosing that the actress had sought assistance from the President of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Bolaji Amusan.
In an earlier interview with BBC News Yoruba, Osoba recounted how she discovered a lump in her breast during a routine self-examination.
According to her, a doctor initially dismissed the lump because of her childbearing age. However, she insisted on further medical examinations, which later confirmed that the lump was cancerous.
Reflecting on the diagnosis, Osoba described it as “one of the worst days of my life.”
Osoba began her career as a professional dancer before making the transition into acting in the early 2000s. During her career, she featured in several productions, including Gucci Girls (2012), Accident (2013) and Ifedolapo (2015).
