“My Brother, My Confidant, My Companion”: Yinka Quadri Remembers Late Friend Taiwo “Ogogo” Hassan

For more than 40 years, Yinka Quadri and Taiwo Hassan, fondly known as Ogogo, shared a friendship that went far beyond the movie set. They were colleagues, close friends, brothers and, as many who knew them would say, almost inseparable. Following Ogogo’s passing, Yinka has now opened up about the friendship they built from the time they first met in 1984.

The Yoruba film industry and Nollywood audiences around the world have been mourning Ogogo, who passed away on Sunday, 23 August 2026, at the age of 66. Across a career spanning four decades, the veteran actor and filmmaker became known for his memorable performances, commanding screen presence and contribution to the growth of Yoruba-language cinema.

For Yinka, however, Ogogo was much more than a fellow actor. Their friendship began in 1984 and grew through years of working together, appearing in films and navigating the Nigerian film industry side by side. The pair were so close that they became known as heavenly twins born to different mothers.

In a personal tribute shared on social media, Yinka recalled the last time he saw Ogogo in hospital. He described struggling to hold back his tears when he saw his friend on his sickbed, only for Ogogo to reassure him.

Taiwo Hassan, I will never forget the last time I saw you at the hospital. You were lying on your sick bed, and when I saw you, I could not hold back my tears. You looked at me and said, ‘Yinka, don’t cry. Nothing bad will happen to me.’ I responded, ‘Yes, Amen.’

He also remembered a small moment from that visit that gave him hope. Ogogo drank a bottle of water and asked the doctors around him to confirm that he had eaten earlier that morning. For Yinka, those ordinary details made the situation feel less frightening, even as he remained hopeful for his friend’s recovery.

Over the years, there were also rumours that the two actors had fallen out, but Yinka made it clear that their friendship was never defined by the speculation around them.

Neither of us ever went to the public to speak against the other. Whenever people heard rumours that we were fighting, they were only guessing. They never heard it from us… We have known each other since 1984, and with time, our friendship grew into something beyond ordinary friendship.

He recalled how people would sometimes expect to see tension between them whenever they arrived at the same event or worked on the same film, only to find them sitting together, laughing and catching up as they always had.

For Yinka, the loss is that of someone who was woven into so much of his life. In the closing lines of his tribute, he described Ogogo as his friend, brother, confidant and companion, while praying for his eternal rest and strength for his family and loved ones.

You were more than a friend to me. You were my brother, my confidant, and my companion… You may have left this world, but you will never leave my heart. May Almighty God forgive your sins, grant you eternal rest, and give your family, children, friends, and loved ones the strength to bear this painful loss.