Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners of Nigeria (TAMPAN) has dismissed reports that popular Yoruba actor better known as Olaiya Igwe is dead.
This is coming hours after some online news platform had reported that the popular Yoruba actor, Olaiya died at University College Hospital, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state on Monday morning.
According to one of the viral reports, Olaiya Igwe died during the surgery of his Kidney stone.
Reacting to the development, a TAMPAN official described the viral reports of Igwe’s demise as rubbish and fake.
He said: “It’s fake news and I can confirm to you that Olaiya Igwe is alive.”
Also reacting to the reports of the actor’s death, the Public Relations Officer of UCH, Toye Akinrinola, said:
“I am not aware of anything like that. A journalist had called me earlier on the matter. We just checked; there is no record of him at the Emergency Unit of the hospital. At least, if he died at the hospital, the Mortuary record should have revealed that to us,” Akinrinola said.
Dele Odule, a veteran and popular Yoruba actor has also described the reports as rubbush.
He said, “Rumour of his death is untrue. Olaiya is still very much alive. I spoke with him on the telephone about an hour ago and he was very much alive.”