After the grim reaper claimed the lives of four notable Nollywood performers in the span of two weeks, one may have anticipated that the agent of darkness would draw his sword of elimination and permit the entertainment industry and its followers to celebrate for a while. It did, in fact, spare its sword, but only briefly.
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
An excerpt from Death be not proud by John Donne.
On Wednesday, June 28, it hit once more as the month of June winds down before the entrance of July. This time, it was Sidikatu Odunkanwi, better known by the monikers “Iyabo Oko,” “Sisi Mama,” and “Apoti Aje.”
After a protracted fight with an ischemic stroke, the humorous actor passed away at age 62. ‘Sidikatu’ wasn’t completely bizarre. “Apoti Aje” has already interacted with the grim reaper, but she was forgiven and brought back to life.
Lovers of Nigerian movies have watched helplessly as some of their favorite artists have passed away one after another, including Murphy Afolabi, Saint Obi, Alaafin Oro, Ademola Adeyemo ‘Sokoti’, and Iyabo Oko within four weeks. Osun, the state of the noble ones, suffered greatly as a result of the quick deaths of two of her well-known offspring who worked in the film business.
Many labeled the news that Sidikatu Odunkanwi had traveled with the grim reaper as rumor when it initially surfaced on social media because it wouldn’t be the first time Death would play a practical joke on us by taking the comic actor’s life. Some people questioned what the comedic actor could possibly have done to earn her pal the “grim reaper’s” betrayal.
To the amazement of those who were anticipating the tragic news to be treated as phony, deceptive, and untrue, it was instead proven to be real that the incredibly versatile comic actor Iyabo Oko had truly passed away.
The late Sidikatu Odunkanwi, well known by his stage name “Iyabo Oko,” was a legend. She was cheery, accommodating, amusing, and joyful. She graced our screens with her effortless speech pattern and uncommonly hilarious performances.
You haven’t done anything wrong if you refer to “Iyabo Oko” as ‘mother’ of Yoruba humor after the sad demise of Omoladun Kekelewu. She devoted all of her assets, efforts, and strength to advancing the Yoruba film business.
EARLY LIFE
On November 15, 1960, Sidikatu Odukanmi was conceived. She was from the Iwo local government in Nigeria’s Osun State.
EDUCATION
She went to Oke-Ola Primary School in Iwo before moving to Port Harcourt, where her father, a soldier in the Nigerian Army, was posted. She chose to pursue her education in Port Harcourt by enrolling at St. Andrews Secondary School.
MARITAL LIFE
In her lifetime, Sidikatu Odunkanwi, also known as “Iyabo Oko,” was married twice. Findings showed that there was no information about her first marriage.
She later began dating Tajudeen Akanmu, widely known as Koledowo and a well-known actor in the Yoruba film industry. Tajudeen Akanmu Koledowo, who is currently late, and she had two kids together.
However, Bisi Aisha, a member of the Nigerian military, and Oduola Olamide are among Iyabo Oko’s living offsprings.
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Sidikatu Odunkanwi, better known by her stage as “Iyabo Oko,” began her acting career under the guidance of the Eda Onileola Theatre Troupe. Contrary to her father’s wishes, she entered the film industry since her father believed that only irresponsible people could perform in movies.
If Sidikatu were still alive, she would not be able to talk about Oga Bello without mentioning how important he was to her career. She became well-known as a result of her work with the Oga Bello Theatre Group in Lagos, particularly for her performance in the Oga Bello-directed and -produced movie “Oko.” Iyabo Oko’s moniker was inspired by this movie.
Her well-known films include, among others, “Aderupoko”, “Oba Adetoyese”, “Aso funfun”, “Okan lomo”, “Adun Ewuro”, “Esan”, “Apaadi”, and “Agbara Ife”.
Iyabo Oko, in addition to being an actor, is also a producer. Among the films he has worked on are “Olufunke,” “Ilu Ominira,” “Okegogo,” and “Ololufe.”