Yoruba actor Olamilekan Ojo passes away, loses battle to lung cancer

Veteran Nollywood actor Olamilekan Ojo, also known as Gbatami, has been pronounced dead after losing a gruesome battle with lung cancer in the early hours of yesterday, November 17, 2022.

According to multiple reports, the actor died on Thursday morning around 7.30 a.m. after battling the deadly disease for more than a year.

The deceased actor, who spent his entire life in Lagos, was very skilled, and Yoruba cinema fans know him as a household name due to his variety in the movies.

Gbatami, also known as Olamilekan Ojo, is a famous actor who has received several local awards for his performances in movies. Beyond the shores of Nigeria, Gbatami is also a recognised actor and film producer in South Africa.

The actor was able to make a name for himself in the industry after he served in a five-year training programme with Adebayo Salami, better known as Oga Bello, and graduated in 2004. Barely 24 hours after his graduation in 2004, he released his first film, 'Ojo Oro,' and went on to produce about 20 more before his passing.

May his soul sojourn on the eternal planes of rest.

Other Yoruba actors who died in 2022

In June 2022, Yoruba actor Yinka Gbadamosi was pronounced dead. The announcement was made in a statement by fellow thespian Ropo Ewenla which reads: "Today, this morning, one phase of history came to an end. Erin ti wo. The elephant rises no more. Yinka Ogundaisi bid this world farewell at dawn. It was Kate Adepegba who dropped the bomb on my lap. I called Uncle Yinka’s number to confirm and rudely, it was so"

On May 30, the industry also lost one of its own, Osmond Gbadebo. The report was made by a fellow member of the industry, Fausat Balogun, on her Instagram page.