AFTERNOON UPDATES: Controversy trails death of popular Yoruba actress, Monsurat Omidina

Controversy is trailing the death of popular actress, Monsurat Omidina aka Moladun Kenkelewu.

While some reports indicated that the 46-year-old actress died in her Ikorodu, Lagos home after a brief illness, the President, Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners, Mr. Jide Kosoko, told our correspondent that there was no indication of any indisposition prior to her death.

An evening newspaper in Lagos said she was hypertensive and in her bedroom with blood running from her nose and ears. The paper also quoted family sources as saying she had been ill for some time and was billed to visit the United Kingdom‘s Consular Office on Tuesday morning to obtain a visa to travel to UK for treatment.

However, Kosoko, who spoke on the telephone with our correspondent on Tuesday afternoon, said, ”She wasn‘t ill. Nothing was wong with her that I can tell you I know of. Maybe she was ill before but I don‘t know about that.” He added that she had been buried according to Muslim rites.

The news threw fans and stakeholders in the Nigerian movie industry, especially the Yoruba genre, into shock. The actress was married to popular Yoruba actor and comedian, Babatunde Omidina aka Baba Suwe. Kosoko told our correspondent that Monsurat‘s husband was ”in a very bad state” and could not speak with journalists.

Monsurat, who was also a comedian, was popular in the slap-stick humour genre. Her stage style was to over-dramatise with excessive make-up, funny costumes and she largely featured in films with her husband. She usually played the role of a gossip with a caustic tongue.

According to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2138362/, some of her video works were Ògo ìdílé (2004); Obáj‘obalo (2003); Ògédé Didùn (2003); Ojabo Kofo (2003); Perosoko (2003); and Kadara Afri-T (2002).

A blogger on Facebook, Abisoye Oluwafemi Opeyemi, said she was planning to release a multi-million debut film next month.

The Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners, Mr. Jide Kosoko, declined to comment when contacted on the telephone. He asked our correspondent to call back in 30 minutes.

Speaking about her movie carrer in an interview posted on waleadenuga1.blogspot.com, she said she started with stage performance in 1982 in Ibadan with ”Chief Olowookere. We lived at Aremo and Iya Sala used to come around and we would see them between Ikolaba and the premises of NTA Ibadan. They used to do rehearsals behind Odo Alana behind NTA premises then. I told them of my intention to join them. After I joined, we used to rehearse everyday by 4p,m. Then, one thing led to the other and another group was formed called ‘Loveally’. I can recall, my mother in-law asked whether I could do what they were doing? She also inspired me greatly.”

On how she met her husband, she said, ”Hee, you see is not something I like talking about. I lost my ex-husband in 1993 and our relationship started in 1994 but we did not marry until 1995. We went to registry to solidify our love. The very first time I met him he was with other Oga’s sitting and I greeted all of them and they answered but he didn’t respond to my greetings and I was bitter. I was later told, that it was his behaviour and that has nothing to do with pride.

”He later sent somebody to me intimating me about his love for me. Then there was a day a respected woman in the industry invited me over to her place. On getting there I met her with Baba Suwe and she said it was Baba Suwe that actually wanted to see me. He started by wooing me and in the process he slept off and I was smiling and wondering whether he was acting a script or he just slept off like that. The rest was now history.”