The family of late Nollywood Yoruba Actor, Murphy Afolabi in Osogbo, Osun State, has described his death as saddening and heartbreaking to them.
While speaking on Monday, Mr Yusuf Lateef, the family head of Fetuata, Afolabi’s family compound in Osogbo, said the news of the death of the actor left every one of them crying.
He said the information they got about Afolabi’s demise was that he collapsed in the bathroom.
He said he was rushed to the hospital thereafter, where he was pronounced dead.
He said his body was deposited at the morgue and that he would be buried later today.
“Initially we were planning to have him buried here, in Osogbo but his children insisted that he should be buried in Lagos, where he resides with his family.
“As his family in Osogbo, we have been meeting and making plans concerning his burial and we will be sending representatives to Lagos this morning. (today),” he told NAN.
He said the bond of family is very strong and that irrespective of the status anybody attained in life, they should never forsake their family, adding that as Afolabi’s family members, would see to the burial of their Kin.
Alhaji Murufudeen Lawal, Osun Governor of Theater Acts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) who was at the Afolabi’s family compound in Osun on condolence visit, said the death of the actor was a big loss to the Yoruba film industry.
Lawal said the late actor had contributed immensely to the growth of the Yoruba movie sector and that the vacuum his death had created would be very difficult to fill.
He commiserated with the family , friends and fans of the actor, asking them to take solace in the fact that life is ephemeral and that everything that happened in life is according to the will of God.
Afolabi, 49, a Yoruba movie actor, producer and director, was reported to have collapsed and died in his bathroom, in Ikorodu, Lagos, on Sunday morning.
…Osun Gov commiserates with family, fans over Afolabi’s death
Meanwhile, Gov Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has commiserated with Nollywood fans, friends and families of late Afolabi over the sudden demise.
Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, on Monday in Osogbo, described late Afolabi as a good ambassador of Osun who dedicated his life through his acting prowess to upholding the ethos of Omoluabi.
”I remember the last time he visited me at the Country home. We discussed issues bordering on the development of the entertainment industry.
”We agreed on plans to make Osun the cultural and tourism centre of Yorubaland.
“Mr Afolabi was a passionate and ingenious Nollywood actor who stood firm in promoting the culture and tradition of the Yorubas through his God-given talent.
“We can only be proud that he lived a life of grace and glory by successfully putting Osun on the frontline within the Nollywood film industry.
“We hereby condole his numerous fans across the world, his colleagues, friends and families on the demise of a wonderful personality.
”We take solace in the fact that Afolabi lived a fulfilled life of showcasing his talent to the outside world while earning applause from all and sundry.”
The governor prayed to God to grant his families and friends the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Born on May 5, 1974, Afolabi, an indigene of Osun got into the movie industry in 2001.
The graduate of Iree Polytechnic, Osun, appeared in over 60 movies before his death.
His film credits included ‘Ifa Olokun’, ‘Omowunmi’, ‘Jimi Bendel’, ‘Wasila Coded’, ‘Olokiki Oru’, and ‘Idera’, among others.
