Sophia Michaels
Days ago, we reported the sad death of popular Yoruba actor, Abu Rasheed, after his fellow actor, Yemi Gold took to his Instagram to break the news.
Yomi Gold wrote: “I just lost a dear friend. Death comes when we don’t expect. My prayers to your family and friends. Our moment together as friends will always be special to me. Live forever Abu.”
His close friend, Bayonle Saheed in an Interview with news man Gbolahan Adetayo, has opened up on what led to the death of the script interpreter.
According to Saheed, Abu slumped and died and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
“The news has been flying through the Internet, people have been calling to ask, I was surprised to see some blogs claimed that a close friend of Abu told them that he died of Coronavirus. We will be glad if these bloggers can tell us their sources. Abu did not die of Corona. I will say the media killed him. Abu was always concerned about not getting the recognition his hard work deserves. He used to call all media personnels hypocrites. He was always concerned about not being acknowledged by his consistency and hard work.
That ‘Fact’ has always got him thinking. If he can see how many people who posted his different pictures or how many people who knows his name after his death, I am sure he would have believed he achieved so much. If not for the support of coperate pictures, his movies will not have seen the light or be aired. Abu did not die of covid-19. On that faithful day he did his usual routing exercise and was already playing snooker at a public place around the house, he walked out to charge his phone as I was told from eye witness, when he was stopped and had a conversation with a friend.
It was in the friend’s presence he started shaking and collapsed. The shout of his name got us gathered. A pharmacy attendant helped us revived him by giving him CPR before he was rushed to a private hospital. On getting to the private hospital at Ikorodu, the doctor advised we take him to Ikorodu General Hospital which we did. On getting to the general hospital, the doctor rushed and checked his pulse and all necessary things before pronouncing him dead.
Now I am surprised where the bloggers got the information of him contracting Coronavirus. He was asthmatic and he developed hypertension a few years ago. This is all that happened. He was initially rushed to Leadway hospital, Ikorodu but upon sighting him, the doctor adviced he needed oxygen and adviced we take him immediately to the state general hospital Ikorodu, it was at Ikorodu General Hospital, he gave up the ghost. He was buried the following day according to Islamic rite.
Who knows if viewers who claimed they enjoyed his movies tried applauding him? if his colleagues who claimed they enjoyed his movies or artistic ability supported him? if he was celebrated while he was alive maybe his hypertension would have been contained? He was always worried why the Nigerian system has failed in all aspects. Abu trained at Odunfa for 4 consecutive years.
He chants, dances and sings. He was never granted an interview by any media house, he never got the publicity he felt he needed. Maybe the media personnel don’t do their jobs by merit anymore. He was always furious over people just dashing into the industry and move straight to limelight. In his life time, he had three movies to his credit. DNA, Itonisi, Boripe.
He was planning to shoot another movie before the government pronounced a lockdown. He was a proud member of a movement called. ” Ọkúrín Mẹta Ẹkún”, he said.
