Veteran Nollywood actor, Olumide Bakare
is currently down with a heart disease. According to sources, the
actor’s condition has become very critical hence his long absence from
the screen.
Sources confirm to NET that the 60year
old actor who has been in and out of hospital for sometime now was
recently discharged from a Lagos hospital and has been relocated by
family members to Ibadan, Oyo State due to the severity of the ailment.
According to a foreign health
publication, the heart disease which is also known as Cardiovascular
disease is a class of diseases that involves the heart and the blood
vessels. In the last few years, the disease has continued to rank as one
of the world’s leading cause of death.
When NET tried to reach
the actor by telephone, a family member who picked the call, refused to
deny or confirm the news of the actors illness. ‘He is asleep right now, I will have him call you back when he wakes up’, the voice said and hung up. When NET reached out to the leader of the Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP), Jide Kosoko for a confirmation, Kosoko said he is unaware but will still investigate. ‘I’m not yet aware of this report. I will reach out to the family and get back to you’.
Sources also say that Bakare has been
battling the heart condition for a while and that it only recently got
worse. Family members are still being discreet with the news, but like
in previous cases involving celebrities, family are later forced to go
public with the news.
The once energetic actor is reported to
have spoken to a Lagos-based publication in which he was quoted to have
stated his condition and also asked for help from well-meaning
Nigerians. ‘I’m weak; I cannot do anything for now. I’ve also not
been able to work for a while now as a result of this illness, so I’m
calling on well-meaning Nigerians for support’.
Bakare, a pioneering member of the ANTP became famous as Chief Koko in the popular 1980s TV series ‘Koko Close’ and went on to feature in more modern Yoruba movies including ‘Maroro’ and ‘Oduduwa’.
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