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Popular Yoruba actor, Olaniyi Raji, better known as Baba Atoli, has passed away after battling an undisclosed ailment for over a year.
Foluke Daramola, the actress, who has been championing fundraisers for his treatment, announced the news of his death in an Instagram post on Thursday.
Ms Daramole shared a photo of the late actor with the caption: “Sad we lost baba Atoli. Such a shame.”
Ropo Ewenla, a member of the Ibadan Film Circle (IFC), the group to which the late filmmaker belonged, also confirmed the news of his death in a statement on Thursday.
Also, fans, colleagues, friends and family of the late veteran actor took to their social media to mourn him.
Baba Ali was a member of the cast of ‘The Village Headmaster’ and also authored a crime fiction titled ‘The Charmed Lock.’
He resurrected and repackaged the longest-running Yoruba TV programme, ‘FEYIKOGBON .’
His movie credits include – Give and Take, Destiny, Hostess, Ọmọge (Damsel), – Pardonable, Unforgivable, and Happy Homes (a drama series once aired on DSTV , among others.
Before his death, in May, the actor had solicited financial support following an illness.
His wife, Olaide Raji, also narrated the actor’s year-long battle with the undisclosed sickness.
“This sickness started in May 2021. We thought it was a minor thing when it started so we took him to one hospital where he spent four days. After that, we brought him home with the hope that he has fully recovered,” she said.
“However, a few days later, we noticed that his condition worsened. It was at this point that people recommended that he should be taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abeokuta, which we did.
At FMC Abeokuta, several tests were carried out on him, and we spent a lot of money. But a few days before his surgery, the hospital embarked on strike. We initially thought the strike would be called off after some days, but it lingered. We eventually did the surgery, and we took him home.
“The sickness, however, resurfaced again. We need the support of Nigerians to ensure he doesn’t die. I don’t want to become a widow.”
Baba Atoli died days after his colleague, another veteran, Yinka Ogundaisi, passed on.
