Veteran Nollywood actor Yinka Quadri has paid a tribute to his late friend and colleague, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, revealing the reassuring words the actor spoke to him during their final meeting in hospital before his death.
Quadri wept uncontrollably on Monday as family, friends, and colleagues gathered in the Ilaro area of Ogun State to bid a final farewell to Ogogo, who died on August 23, 2026, at the age of 66 after battling stage-four cancer.
Quadri, in a lengthy statement mourning the 66-year-old actor on Wednesday, recounted visiting Ogogo on his sickbed, where the late filmmaker tried to comfort him despite his own condition.
The famous actor disclosed that he broke down in tears when he saw his longtime friend in hospital, but Ogogo urged him to remain hopeful.
Quadri said his optimism grew moments later when Ogogo asked for a bottle of water after informing him that he had eaten earlier that morning.
Quadri added that the later actor then asked the doctors to confirm that he had taken a meal before drinking the water, a development Quadri said strengthened his belief that recovery was near.
He wrote on Instagram: “Taiwo Hassan, I will never forget the last time I saw you at the hospital. You were lying on your sick bed, and when I saw you, I could not hold back my tears. You looked at me and said, ‘Yinka, don’t cry. Nothing bad will happen to me.’ I responded, ‘Yes, Amen.’
“A few minutes later, you asked me to give you the bottle of water on the table. I gave it to you, and you drank from it. Then you looked at me and said, ‘Yinka, can you see that I drank the water, even though I ate this morning?’ You asked the doctors to confirm whether it was true that you had eaten that morning, and they confirmed it.
“At that moment, I said, ‘Glory be to God.’ My hope and faith became even stronger. The doctors only advised us to remain prayerful.”
Describing Ogogo’s death as a painful loss, Quadri said he never believed his friend wanted to leave his family, colleagues, and admirers so soon but accepted it as the will of God.
The veteran actor reflected on more than four decades of friendship, saying they first met in 1984 and remained close until Ogogo’s passing.
He revealed that despite recurring rumours of a feud between them, they never allowed disagreements to destroy their relationship.
Quadri described the late actor as his brother, confidant, and companion, adding that their bond was so strong he often referred to them as “twins from heaven born by different mothers.”
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Quadri stated: “We have known each other since 1984, and with time, our friendship grew into something beyond ordinary friendship. Many people tried to create a distance between us, but God never allowed it.
“Neither of us ever went to the public to speak against the other. Whenever people heard rumours that we were fighting, they were only guessing. They never heard it from us.
“What made our friendship special was the way we handled our disagreements. Whenever we had a misunderstanding, people would anticipate what would happen the next time we met at a public function. Yet, to their surprise, they would see us sitting beside each other, laughing, chatting, and walking together as if nothing had happened.
“The same thing happened on movie locations. We were always together, and people would wonder, ‘How can people say these two are fighting when they are always together?’
“I remember when Ajobiewe once called us out at a party. He met us sitting together. Nobody told him that we were fighting; he simply assumed it. Afterwards, you and I even looked at each other and wondered, ‘Did Ajobiewe actually see us fighting? Why did he call us out?’
“That was who we were. You were more than a friend to me. You were my brother, my confidant, and my companion.
“I have always said that we were twins from heaven, only born to different mothers.”
Quadri expressed gratitude for the life Ogogo lived and thanked God that the actor did not endure prolonged suffering before his death.
Praying for the repose of his friend’s soul, Quadri asked Allah to forgive Ogogo’s shortcomings, grant him eternal rest and comfort the family he left behind.
“You may have left this world, but you will never leave my heart,” he added.
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