Babatunde Omidina, a Nigerian actor and comedian popularly known as Baba Suwe was confirmed dead on Monday.
The news of his death was disclosed this afternoon by the president of the Theatre Arts and Motion Picture Producers Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Bolaji Amusan also known as Mr Latin.
Punch quotes Mr Latin as saying, “It has been confirmed that Baba Suwe is dead. I just got off the phone with his son who confirmed that the actor is dead. I don’t have much details about his death.”
Here are things you probably did not know about late Baba Suwe:
1) Baba Suwe started acting at 18 (in the 70s) when he dropped out of secondary school. He was in form four at the time. He developed passion for entertainment thanks to a senior colleague, Ojo Ladipo, commonly known as Baba Mero.
2) Baba Suwe came into the limelight after he featured in the movie, Omolasan. He became more popular after he featured in ‘Iru Esin’, a film produced by Olaiya Igwe in 1997.
3) In 2011, Baba Suwe was arrested by the Nigerian Drug and Law Enforcements Agencies (NDLEA) for alleged drug trafficking. However, the Lagos High Court described the allegation as false and defamatory, and awarded Baba Suwe N25 million in damages. He would later lose the money via an appeal court verdict in 2013.
4) Baba Suwe was married to fellow thespian, Omoladun Omidina. They were blessed with children, some of whom are: Junior Ominida, Okiki Omidina and Halimat Omidina. Omoladun passed on in 2009.
5) Baba Suwe had been treating diabetes. In 2019, he travelled to the United States of America (USA) for therapy. Earlier, he was said to have suffered stroke.
6) One of Baba Suwe’s children, Adesola Omidina is also an actor. Adesola, the first son, featured in a movie series produced by his father: ‘Suwe’s Family’.
7) Just five months ago (in June), Lagos compensated Baba Suwe with N3.1 million over a demolished property.
Baba Suwe was among the residents of Ikorodu who were compensated after their properties were demolished to pave way for the Igbogbo-Igbe road expansion project.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the state governor, presented the cheques to the affected property owners at the commissioning of the upgraded 6.05 kilometres Ijede Road (Itamaga to Ewu Elepe).
