The Yoruba National Community in Italy has mourned the death of veteran Nollywood actor, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, describing him as a fearless and principled man who remained a worthy ambassador of Yoruba culture throughout his career.

In a condolence message issued yesterday and signed by its President, Bolaji Adedayo, the community said Hassan’s death was a major loss to Yorubaland, the Nigerian film industry and the Yoruba diaspora.

The group described the late actor as a “true Omoluabi and Akinkanju” who, for more than four decades, did more than portray Yoruba culture on screen. It said he lived its values and projected them to audiences around the world.

Hassan died on August 23, 2026, at the age of 66, following a battle with cancer that became public less than two weeks before his death.

Adedayo said Ogogo had served as an important bridge between Yoruba people in Nigeria and those living in the diaspora, particularly through his films and his portrayal of Yoruba values.

“For us in Italy, he was a connection to home. We watched him all over Italy and felt home,” the statement said.

The community added that the courage and principled character Hassan displayed in his movie roles were not merely part of his acting but reflected the man he was in real life.

The Yoruba community said his death had created a huge void in Nigeria’s cultural and entertainment landscape, describing him as one of the most recognisable faces of Yoruba culture both at home and abroad.

“We in the diaspora have lost one of the images of culture at home. Nollywood has lost a pillar. Yorubaland has lost a cultural ambassador,” the statement added.

The community extended its condolences to Hassan’s wife, his children, particularly his daughters, Haleemah and Kira, and the entire Hassan family of Ilaro, Ogun State.

It also commiserated with the Ogun State Government, the traditional institution, the Yoruba film industry, the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), the Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners (ANTP) and the wider Nollywood community.

The group prayed to Almighty God to forgive the deceased’s shortcomings and grant him Aljana Firdaus, while also asking God to give his family, friends and colleagues in the film industry the strength to bear the loss.

It added that Hassan’s legacy, particularly his contribution to the preservation and promotion of Yoruba culture through film, would continue to inspire and be remembered by generations to come.