Veteran actor Sadiq Daba, who became a household in Nigeria for his role as Bitrus in the NTA drama series Cock Crow at Dawn, has died.
Qed.ng learned he died on Wednesday evening after falling critically ill at his Marwa Garden residence in Alausa, Lagos State.
“Yes, he is dead. May his soul rest in peace,” an actor close to him said in a message to this online newspaper.
Another source said, “he was rushed from his Marwa Garden home in an ambulance to Ikeja General Hospital.”
President of Women Arise, Joe Okei-Odumakin, was quoted by PUNCH as saying: “His wife just called me now and we spoke. She said that she was at the morgue. I asked what happened and she told me that about a week ago, he had been ill but he had been home and that he went to the hospital late afternoon today.
“She explained that he had not been eating much and that as soon as they got to the hospital, they started conducting different tests on him including COVID-19. They put him on oxygen but he died around 8:30 pm.”
Mr Daba reached out to the public for financial assistance for medical treatment in October 2019.
The plea came three months after billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, announced he would take over the medical expenses of the actor who had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Ms Okei-Odumakin said in an Instagram post back then: “We use this medium to appeal to you, our great people to lend a helping hand to our ailing TV Personality.
“May your love for our fellow human beings be eternally rewarded as we pray for swift healing of our friend, Sadiq.”
She added that the actor needed N1million for urgent treatment.
Daba was diagnosed with leukaemia and prostate cancer in 2017.
He travelled to London for treatment after a fundraising campaign organised by Okei-Odumakin, Mabel Oboh, Soni Irabor and Azuka Jebose.
There were reports in 2020 that he was on the verge of losing his sight, five years after he won the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for best actor for his role as Inspector Waziri in Kunle Afolayan’s October 1.
Daba’s last major acting project was Afolayan’s Citation released on Netflix last year.
Okei-Odumakin said in a Facebook message late Wednesday that “it is saddening that Sadiq Daba ended the race at a time when there were assurances of his total recovery, thereby giving hope to friends, colleagues, and well-wishers.”
The actor is survived by his wife Bolaji Daba, children and other relatives.
