Actor, Yomi Obileye, is dead

Veteran actor and broadcast, Yomi Obileye, has died of an undisclosed ailment.

He was 76-year-old

Announcing the death in a Facebook post on Friday morning, comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka, wrote: “If tears could build a stairway and memories were a lane, we would walk right up to heaven and bring you back again.”

Gbenga told Qed.ng in a phone conversation that the deceased’s son confirmed the death to him.

“Rest in peace Uncle Yomi Obileye. Thanks for the memories. I can’t help but want to watch Hostages again. Sleep well Egbon and May God give your family and fans the fortitude to bear the loss,” the comedian added on Facebook.

Nollywood actress, Foluke Daramola, paid tribute in an Instagram post.

She wrote, “My uncle Yomi Obileye is dead…I feel so heavy and sad…
I guess I will have to celebrate and reminisce on the good times we spent together and pray God accept ur soul. I love u so much uncle Yomi. But I guess God loves u the most..RIP to a dear one.”

View this post on Instagram

My uncle Yomi Obileye is dead, u nurtured me when I newly to join nollywood. I remember vividly on that faithful day when we were driving on ikorodu road in our way to the island to the house we use for shoot PALACE the defunct soap opera in 1997, while we were talking in the car, u would drift to greet fans and at some point I got angry and I asked u to stop greeting everyone that greeted u, and u gave me a quote that has been working for me till today, u said and I quote, "foluke, dont worry I am sure very soon u will be a star, make sure that when u finally become a celebrity, never forget to always force a smile even in the worst of moods, " that quote moulded me a great deal to what I have become today, that day when u said it, I thought that's the easiest of things and I even told u so, but i grew up knowing that as a celebrity such smiles can be the most difficult especially when u have issues u are dealing with, but yet i still learnt that from u and u helped me prepare well for such situations. U were always ready to listen to my questions and take ur time to answer me, u were such a loving grandpa to me, the one I never had or should I say grow to know, how could i forget those wonderful times we had when we were shooting TAG TEAM???😢😢😢, u mentored me to the script and looking at ur face then I talking with u i could write over 13episodes u thought me so many things about the arts, I feel so guilty and sad that I wasn't there for u as ought to, I feel terrible, now I wont see u again to reminisce on old times. I feel so heavy and sad😭😭😭😭😭😭 I guess I will have to celebrate and reminisce on the good times we spent together and pray God accept ur soul……I love u so much uncle Yomi…….But I guess God loves u the most.😢😢😢 RIP to a dear one

A post shared by Foluke Daramola-Salako (@folukedaramolasalako) on Apr 24, 2020 at 4:24am PDT

Born on July 6, 1954, Obileye graduated from the University of Ibadan.

He was a member of The 1960 Masks and Orisun Theatre Company, both founded by Prof Wole Soyinka.

Obileye worked with the Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) and later Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) among others.

Famous for starring in the 1997 movie, Hostages, by Tade Ogidan, he also appeared in the television show, Palace, which also featured Liz Benson, Jide Kosoko and Antar Laniyan.