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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Baba Suwe told me he’d die, says late actor’s daughter

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Halimat Omidina, daughter of the late Yoruba actor Baba Suwe, shared emotional memories on his posthumous birthday.
  • She recalled her father telling her he would die two days before his passing, a warning she initially dismissed as a joke.
  • Baba Suwe, known for his comic roles, died in November 2021 at age 63.

Halimat Omidina, the youngest child of the late veteran Yoruba actor Babatunde Omidina, known as Baba Suwe, has shared poignant reflections on her final conversations with her father. Marking his posthumous 68th birthday on Saturday, August 22, Halimat expressed the profound difference of the occasion without her father's presence.

Happy posthumous birthday, Daddy. Today feels so different, no crowd, no jollof rice, no you in your new shirt.

— Halimat OmidinaDescribing the somber atmosphere of her father's posthumous birthday.

In an emotional tribute posted on her X account, @superstarrlimaa, she wrote, “Happy posthumous birthday, Daddy. Today feels so different, no crowd, no jollof rice, no you in your new shirt.” Halimat conveyed a deep sense of regret, wishing she had created more memories and offered a tighter embrace when her father spoke of his impending death. “I wish I made more memories with you and hugged you tighter when you told me you’d die. May Allah have mercy on you and grant you Jannatul Firdaus,” she added.

I wish I made more memories with you and hugged you tighter when you told me you’d die. May Allah have mercy on you and grant you Jannatul Firdaus.

— Halimat OmidinaExpressing regret over not cherishing final moments with her father.

Halimat revealed that Baba Suwe had explicitly told her he was going to die just two days before his passing. At the time, she did not take his words seriously, believing he was joking. “Someone asked if Daddy ever told me he was going to die. Yes, he did. Two days before, he told me, but I laughed it off. I thought he was joking,” she recounted.

This could’ve been my mood today. Someone asked if Daddy ever told me he was going to die. Yes, he did. Two days before, he told me, but I laughed it off. I thought he was joking.

— Halimat OmidinaRecalling her father's premonition of death and her reaction.

The following day, Halimat received a call urging her to return home due to her father's deteriorating health. Upon arrival, she found Baba Suwe unable to speak. He passed away an hour later. Baba Suwe died on November 22, 2021, at the age of 63, concluding a career that cemented his status as a highly recognizable comic actor in the Yoruba film industry. His energetic performances and distinctive comic delivery were hallmarks of his work in films like Iru Esin, Baba Londoner, Oju Oloju, and Baba Jaiye Jaiye.

The next day, I got a call to come home. He couldn’t talk anymore, and an hour later, he passed.

— Halimat OmidinaDescribing the final hours before her father's death.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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