Babatunde Omidina, the comic Yoruba actor popularly known as Baba Suwe, has passed away.
Bolaji Amusan, president of the Theatre Arts and Motion Picture Producers Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), broke the news on Monday.
Adesola Omidina, son of the comic actor, also confirmed Baba Suwe’s demise via his official Instagram handle.
The ace film star was said to have died after a long battle with an illness.
Born on August 22, 1958, the actor was married to Omoladun Omidina, a comedienne who died in September 2009.
Baba Suwe maintained his fame in the film industry for years, starring in several movies and winning many awards.
The film star had started acting in 1971 but came into the limelight after he featured in a movie titled ‘Omolasan’.
He became very popular after ‘Iru Esin’, produced by Olaiya Igwe in 1997, and later starred in hundreds of films.
Having been in the limelight for years, the actor’s troubles began after his arrest in 2011 by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during which he was allegedly tortured on suspicion of ingesting cocaine wraps.
Although a Lagos high court had ordered that Baba Suwe be compensated with the sum of N25 million after no drugs were eventually found on him, the veteran actor lamented years later that he did not receive such funds.