Veteran Nollywood actor Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, has opened up about how the deaths of his mentor and his mentor’s wife nearly made him abandon his acting career.
The 73-year-old actor made the revelation in a recent interview with Feel Right News TV, describing the profound emotional impact the losses had on both his personal life and career.
Salami recalled that one of the most heartbreaking moments of his life was the death of his mentor and former boss, Ojo Ladipo, popularly known as Baba Mero, in 1978. He said the circumstances surrounding Baba Mero’s illness and passing made the experience even more painful.
He added that the grief resurfaced seven years later when Baba Mero’s wife also died, a loss he said almost convinced him to quit the theatre profession for good.
“The saddest day of my life was when my boss died, Baba Mero. It is not just that day; there were other days, the circumstances to his death, the sickness was a lot, I was very sad. The second time was when his wife died too, with the problem I faced then at that time,” he said.
“The suffering was a lot and made me conclude that I am not interested in theatre anymore. I made up my mind that I am no longer interested in acting at that time because 7 years exactly after my boss died, the woman died too.
“There was nothing the world did not say about me; they even mentioned that I was the one who was killing them, so many things happened.”
The actor said despite the allegations, he ultimately chose to continue his late mentor’s legacy, taking over as the leader of the theatre group after Baba Mero’s death.
“When my boss died in 1978, I was the next man to him at that time. So we had to continue. We had to immortalise the name. I felt reluctant to continue because what is underneath is not small at all,” he added.
“When we started, there were problems here and there, which are very plenty, and I don’t want to mention them for the sake of peace.”