Oluwatobi Oyewo is the youngest of the five sons of legendary actor, scholar and cultural icon, Kola Oyewo, who died on Friday aged 80. In this interview with WALE AKINSELURE, Oluwatobi recounts his father’s final moments and values that defined his life and legacy

Tell us about the final moments before your dad’s death…

He passed on Friday at about 6:30pm. Two days before he died, he had been talking in a way that was mysterious. He was speaking in parables. My immediate elder brother had been in Ife for a while, taking care of him. His family stays in Ife, so he had been with them for some time. In a way, he was talking in parables as if he was ready to go. He kept telling my brother that it was sad that he would be leaving behind such good children. My eldest brother still had a video call with him on Friday morning. They joked and laughed. He was in the hospital. My brother asked Daddy if he was on his way home. He responded that, yes, he was going home. But we later realised that while my brother was talking about going back home to Ife, I think he was referring to transitioning. He was just talking in parables. Our mum is late; we lost her in 2020. There was a point when he kept mentioning her name as if she was in the vicinity. He kept saying, “Aduke, mo ti se tan o” (Aduke, I am now ready).

Your dad once disclosed that he had an enlarged prostate. Was he able to overcome it before his death on Friday?

Just as he disclosed during an interview he granted Kunle Afod, he had an enlarged prostate. He was diagnosed in 2019 and had been managing it since then. He had the first surgery, which was successful and sustained him. He was fine. In fact, he was the one who drove himself around. But we realised that towards the end of last year, his condition started deteriorating. The normal things he could do, like driving himself around, he could no longer do. Because of his age, there was no way we could have told him to undergo another surgery. The doctor even said it was a 50-50 situation, and he wasn’t convinced about having the surgery. You can’t force someone to do what he doesn’t want to do. Moreover, he acknowledged that he had fulfilled his purpose in life. There was nothing else he wanted that he hadn’t achieved. He was also happy to see all of us grow. He had been preparing. In fact, I remember when I came home in May and he couldn’t look me in the eyes. Sometimes, when our eyes met, he would just shake his head and bow it. He felt that he was leaving us and didn’t want us to be stressed. He didn’t like the fact that we had to take him to the hospital repeatedly to bring him back. My dad was a very strong person. Before this ailment and everything that followed, he had never spent a night in a hospital throughout his life. He had never been admitted. He was used to travelling from one location to another. He enjoyed driving a lot. Growing up, I remember that my dad drove almost all over the country. If you asked him how to get anywhere in Nigeria, he would tell you the route because he had travelled almost everywhere in the country. If he wasn’t driving, he was travelling around with his theatre troupe. He was used to being active and constantly on the move. It was really disheartening for him to be in that state, and he kept feeling that he was a burden to us.

You mentioned Kunle Afod’s visit. Were there other thespians that rallied around him while he was on the sick bed?

Yes, there were other people. Some called us the children to ask about how he was faring. Of course, some couldn’t come physically, but Uncle Kunle was the one who took the bold step. I think he was doing something on his channel, visiting veteran actors one after another. He was the one who even made the whole thing public. There were other people too. Toyin Adegbola visited and called. Others always came around, visited, and called us as children to check on him. They were really supportive to the best of their ability. There’s nothing anyone can do when it’s time. I’m happy that we, the children, did our best, and he was really happy about it.

What principles guided your father’s life?

He believed strongly in hard work, responsibility and humility. That’s one thing I can say I personally learnt from him. My dad was a very humble person. He was so humble that in my parish in Ife, before old age slowed him down, he used to play the konga drum in the choir. Since his death, many of his videos have resurfaced online. What gladdens you most about his legacy? I feel proud to be associated with someone who achieved so much and was genuinely loved by people. All the comments I have been reading have been heartwarming and positive. There have been so many positive comments about him. That gladdens my heart. I feel proud to say that he was my father, even though he is no longer with us. Although, I also think about the fact that the shoes he left behind are very big ones to fill.

Is there any of his children also involved in the arts?

My eldest brother is a lecturer in Theatre Arts, so he is partly involved in acting. My second brother also acts, mostly in television series and Africa Magic productions rather than regular home videos. Those are the two people I can say are really involved in acting. The other three of us have gone into different professions.

What were his final wishes?

The major thing he preached was humility and unity among his children. He always told us to remain united and to listen to our eldest brother because he would now serve as a father figure to us. That is Dr Wale Oyewo. He also encouraged us to remain prayerful and keep the faith. As a Catholic, he was always passionate about keeping the faith alive. I remember telling him that I had become the Parish Pastoral Council Chairman of my parish. He was really surprised and happy. Things like that thrilled him. He was always glad whenever I came home to worship in our parish and saw that I was receiving Holy Communion. He was happy that I remained part of the fold because he was a very devoted Catholic. He worshipped at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Igboya, Ife.

How would you like him to be remembered?

I would love him to be remembered as the legend that he was. Even though he was my father and someone I could call at any time, that does not diminish the fact that he was a legend. People saw him as a mentor and someone they could always look up to. I would love him to be remembered for the impact he made, especially in academics and theatre arts.

What posthumous honour would you like Nigeria to bestow on him?

I wouldn’t know exactly. There was a time during his birthday when the President released a congratulatory message. Now, the President has also condoled with the family. I don’t know what specific honours are usually given in situations like this. Maybe the MFR or something similar. It would be really nice if he received an honour like that so that his name would remain in the history books as a great achiever.

Would you say your father lived a fulfilled life?

Yes, definitely. I would say he lived a fulfilled life because there was virtually nothing he wanted to achieve that he didn’t achieve, at least to the best of his ability, considering his humble background. In fact, he had almost no chance of making it out of our village in Osun State. Yet here he is, being celebrated, with news of his passing making headlines across the country. I was really surprised yesterday when I saw so many news organisations reporting it. I was amazed and asked myself, “Is my dad really this legendary?”

His command of Yoruba was exceptional. Did he deliberately pass that on to his children?

Yes, he did. That’s why, despite the growing dominance of English, our Yoruba language skills remain deeply ingrained. I usually tell people that I didn’t learn English at home; I learnt it in school. My dad would never speak English to us at home. I knew how to speak Yoruba fluently from a very young age. He only spoke Yoruba to us. I can’t imagine my dad saying things like, “Sit there” or “Don’t do this” in English. If you heard my dad speaking English, it probably meant he was angry because you had done something wrong. You hardly heard him speak English. I’m sure it was the same for all my other four brothers. We are five men in total. We learnt English in school, not at home. It’s different from what we see nowadays, where many parents speak only English to their children from infancy.

But was he tempted to speak English when his grandchildren came around?

Yes, but he still tried to instil Yoruba in them. That’s why all of us have traditional names — what Yoruba people call oríkì names. I’ve never heard him call me by my given name, Tobi, except perhaps when referring to me to someone else. He would always call me by my native name, Akano. Everyone has a native name, including our wives. Once we got married, he gave each of our wives a native name. My wife even said yesterday that she hopes her native name won’t go extinct because he’s the only person who calls her Agbeke. All the grandchildren also have native names, and that’s what he called them.Whenever they were around, he tried to speak Yoruba to them rather than English.

Did he maintain a personal library or archive at home for his many works, probably it could be set aside as a historical room of some sort?

No, he didn’t have a formal library or archive. But I know where his books are. He had a lot of books on the shelves in his room. There were many books, though not what I would describe as a formal archive or library.

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The first thing that hits visitors to the Oja Agbe Market in Ifo, Ogun State, is the suffocating stench from a towering dumpsite that looms over traders, buyers and residents. As residents and traders raise fears of food contamination, recurrent disease outbreaks and deadly accidents linked to the refuse-filled road, the market has become a symbol of a community trapped between neglect and survival, UTHMAN SALAMI writes

It was a rain-soaked Saturday, May 29, 2026, when this reporter visited the popular farmers’ market in Oja Oba along Sholu-Kajola Road in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

As heavy rains lashed the already waterlogged and muddy ground, scores of motorcycles lined up at the entrance of the road leading to the market and the communities, beckoning passengers despite the downpour. Clad in full nylon raincoats, the commercial riders braved the elements, determined to weather the storm.

Before this reporter stepped onto the slippery entrance, the stench hanging in the air was already overpowering, strong enough to churn the stomach and leave one gasping for breath.

While struggling through the suffocating odour, a towering mountain of refuse, the source of the foul smell, stood brazenly by the roadside like an unwelcome gatekeeper.

Even more startling was the sight of a watermelon seller directly opposite it inside a bustling market where traders and buyers went about their businesses under the shadow of the dumpsite and its nauseating fumes.

Behind the market sat another massive dumpsite, though smaller than the one at the entrance.

Just a few metres to the right stood an abattoir where cows are slaughtered, and raw beef is sold daily.

The market, popularly known as Oja Agbe, stretches across a vast expanse of land. Most of the stalls are makeshift structures fashioned from planks and covered with roofing sheets that connect one section of the market to another.

True to its name, the market serves as a major hub for fresh farm produce, including watermelon, garri, fruits, vegetables, wheat flour and other staple foods.

In a desperate bid to keep the stench at bay, some traders wore nose masks while others cupped their palms over their noses as swarms of flies danced through the air.

This reporter also saw sellers at the market constantly swatting away the persistent insects with pieces of cloth to protect their goods.

Separating the market from the towering dumpsite is a narrow, heavily damaged road riddled with deep potholes, turning every journey into a risky undertaking and making accidents a near-daily occurrence.

During the visit, this reporter witnessed a heated confrontation between a truck driver and several commercial motorcyclists after both became trapped on the narrow stretch, each insisting on the right of way as traffic ground to a standstill.

“They are the ones saying they do not want Ebola and other diseases in the state, but what we have here, if left unattended, is a disaster waiting to happen,” said a garri seller in the market, who identified herself simply as Mrs Akinola.

Appealing to the government, she warned, “This can trigger a cholera outbreak, especially through the contaminated water and the flies. We are begging the government to intervene before it is too late.”

Describing the daily ordeal faced by traders, Akinola said, “This is Oja Oba in Ifo along Sholu Road. There is no well-being here. Whenever we spread our garri for sale, flies descend on it from every direction.

“Once customers see that, many of them turn back and never return. The nose masks we once relied on can no longer keep out the stench.”

She further lamented that the hardship extends beyond the market itself.

“When it is time to return home after trading, another struggle begins because of the terrible condition of the road. This market is trapped between dumpsites at both the front and the back.

“There is hardly a day without an accident on this road because of its condition. The government tells us to be patient and keep hope alive, but there is no peace of mind here. We live with worry every day. There is simply no peace of mind for us.”

A pepper seller, Adeola Afolabi, recalled how the hazardous condition of the road nearly led to tragedy.

“This morning, Saturday, a pregnant woman fell off a motorcycle into that stagnant floodwater because of the terrible state of the road caused by the dumpsite,” she said.

“It was commercial motorcyclists nearby who rushed to rescue her. This dumpsite has become a serious burden on everyone. We are begging the government to help us before people start falling sick and contracting diseases.

“Schoolchildren and pregnant women regularly fall off motorcycles at this spot, especially when leaves and debris cover the road,” Afolabi added.

Lamenting the worsening environmental conditions, she added, “The smell is overwhelming. We used to rely on nose masks, but once it rains, they become useless against the stench. We do not want a disease outbreak here because if this situation continues, that is exactly what may happen.

“This is a market where fresh farm produce is sold every day. As you can see, having a dumpsite of this nature beside a food market poses a danger to people’s health.”

A corn and wheat seller, Suliat Amosun, said traders and residents continue to pay the price for the neglected road and the growing refuse heap.

“We spend hours on the road because of its terrible condition, but the dumpsite remains the market’s biggest problem,” she said.

“There is a lot we can achieve here, but this dumpsite is driving customers away. We used to wear nose masks, but once the rains come, they can no longer shield us from the foul smell. It is hurting our business.”

According to her, sales have dropped significantly as customers increasingly avoid the market.

“We do not sell the way we used to. Many people tell us they can no longer buy from this market because of the smell and the sight of the dumpsite. We want the government to come to our aid because this market is where we earn our daily bread.”

A member of the Butchers Association, Abudulkazeem Ogbonlawe, who spoke on behalf of butchers in the market, said the dumpsite had become a major threat to their livelihood.

“We have been searching for someone who can help us get rid of this dumpsite,” he said.

“If not for the trust and goodwill we have built with the community over the years, people would have stopped buying meat from us altogether.

“What is keeping us going is simply God’s grace because the dumpsite is chasing customers away. Many people get to the entrance, see the mountain of refuse, and immediately turn back. They tell us they cannot buy food from such a dirty and foul-smelling environment.”

He expressed concerns over the health implications of the refuse dump.

“Any fly that lands on that dumpsite, where all kinds of germs thrive, can easily make its way into the market. People who care about cleanliness often refuse to buy from here because of that fear.”

Appealing for intervention, Ogbonlawe said, “We will be grateful if this refuse dump can be relocated. Whoever helps us achieve that will earn the appreciation of the entire community and all the butchers here. If it is a politician, we will not forget such a gesture.

“This abattoir existed long before the dumpsite was moved here. The refuse dump used to be on the other side of Oja Agbe Market.

“The land where it now stands was once used for vegetable farming. It was only when the government carried out work on the market that the dumpsite was relocated to its present location.

“There is only so much the community can do about the road. What we need now is for the government to help us move this dumpsite to a more suitable location.”

I lost my two-month pregnancy on the road – Female resident

For Olayinka Adegboyega, the consequences of the road’s condition are deeply personal.

“When we moved here in 2022, I was pregnant and on my way to the market to buy a few things,” she recalled. “I was about two to three months pregnant at the time. I lost the pregnancy while riding on a motorcycle because of the stress and condition of the road.”

She said the miscarriage was a painful experience she had never encountered before.

“I had never suffered a miscarriage before moving to this community. That was my third pregnancy, and I already had two children. It was a very painful experience for me.”

Since then, she said, she had become extremely cautious whenever she was pregnant.

“After that incident, whenever I become pregnant, I prefer to stay indoors and only go out when necessary, such as for medical scans. This road is very bad. During the rainy season, it becomes even worse. Getting to the market is difficult, and even travelling by motorcycle is dangerous.”

Sharing her ordeal, Mrs Omotola Omolola, a resident and business owner in one of the communities, said years of navigating the road had left her with painful memories and a growing sense of frustration.

“I supply granite and sharp sand, but anytime my trailer is coming into this community, there is always one incident or another,” she said.

“If vehicles are not getting stuck, they are involved in accidents. I have witnessed countless unpleasant experiences on this road. Some long-time residents have even moved away because they could no longer cope with the hardship.”

According to her, the dumpsite at the entrance to the market has compounded the challenges faced by residents and commuters.

“If you check the entrance by the market, you will see a huge dumpsite. That is one of our biggest problems,” she said.

“For pregnant women facing medical emergencies, the situation can be tragic. Some have lost their pregnancies, while others have died because of the terrible state of the road leading into and out of these communities.

“It is painful because Kajola Rail Terminal is very close to us, yet there is no accessible route through this area.”

Omolola recalled the case of a pregnant woman in her neighbourhood whose death, she said, could have been prevented if the road had been motorable.

“There was a woman in our area in 2024 known as Alhaja. She went into labour, but getting her to Ifo, where there are hospitals, became a major challenge because of the road. She died on the way to the hospital,” she recounted.

“She was well known in the community and was a very kind and generous woman. If we had better access out of this community, she would have survived. That incident was so devastating that her family eventually left the area.

“There are many other cases that may never be reported to community leaders. What is happening here is becoming a scourge on the lives of residents. We urgently need help.”

A driver and resident of Lerin Community, Okeyode Adewale, who said he witnessed one of the tragic incidents linked to the road, recounted how a pregnant woman lost her life while being rushed to the hospital.

“I was with Mr Omotosho Johnson on the day it happened,” he said. “We saw a man struggling with his vehicle on the road. When I got closer, I realised he was with a heavily pregnant woman who was already in labour. Because of the terrible state of the road, he could not drive through.”

According to him, he immediately stepped in to help.

“I took over the wheel and managed to navigate the road as best as I could. But by the time we got to the hospital, the woman was declared dead on arrival.”

Adewale believes the outcome could have been different if the road had been in better condition.

“If this road had been motorable, that woman would probably still be alive today. We would have been able to drive faster and get her medical attention on time. But because of the condition of the road, especially around the dumpsite area, we were severely constrained.”

He added that the woman’s husband, whom he identified as Adewale Hamzat, was not around when the incident occurred.

“I think they were from Kwara State. The tragedy affected the family so much that the man eventually left the community. The dumpsite and the road have brought a lot of suffering to people living here.”

Also speaking, Muftau Okunola described the dumpsite as a major obstacle to movement and emergency response, particularly during the rainy season.

“The dumpsite is one of the biggest problems on this road, especially when it rains,” he said. “The situation has become almost unbearable. If the road were motorable, it would be easier and quicker for people to access Kajola Train Station.”

He noted that residents also face difficulties reaching the nearby Osinbajo Terminal and other essential services.

“Osinbajo Terminal is on the other side of the community, but getting there during an emergency is a major challenge. Even commercial motorcyclists often refuse to ply the route because of the road conditions. Sometimes people are forced to trek from the market to their homes after being stranded.”

A community leader and vice chairman of one of the affected CDCs, Shina Dosumu, said he had developed the habit of taking his wife out of the community whenever her pregnancy reached a certain stage.

Dosumu said, “Whenever my wife is pregnant, once the pregnancy reaches five months, I would take her to Lagos because, God forbid, there is an emergency, considering the news we have heard from other people. She would have been in Lagos for five months before her delivery.”

He noted that the dumpsite affects several villages and communities in the area.

“It affects more than six villages directly under my area, including Sholu, Kajola, Rerin, Baamu, Ebiti and Ilari, apart from many other communities deeper inside the area,” he said.

“This dumpsite has existed for more than 20 years. The market also has an abattoir, and during the rainy season, the smell becomes almost unbearable.

“It creates serious problems during emergencies because vehicles can hardly pass through the road when it rains. Sometimes residents have to abandon their vehicles because the filth covers everything.

“I stopped buying meat and food items from that market because of the smell around the dumpsite. The CDAs and CDCs have tried several times to clear the road, but the problem is beyond what we can handle financially.”

Dumpsite risks

According to the 2025 World Health Organisation report, effective solid waste management is critical to protecting public health.

The report noted that waste collection and proper disposal systems were historically introduced to maintain cleanliness and prevent disease outbreaks.

The WHO explained that outbreaks of cholera and typhoid in rapidly expanding cities during the 19th century prompted the establishment of formal waste collection systems and regulations.

“These early public health efforts laid the foundation for modern waste management systems, emerging in response to uncollected waste and later expanding to address environmental risks from inadequate disposal,” the report stated.

The organisation further warned that poor waste management could have serious consequences for both the environment and human health.

“Mismanagement of waste can result in widespread contamination of the environment, affecting soil, water and air, and accumulating in food chains,” the report noted.

It added that the accumulation of waste encourages the spread of disease-causing pathogens and vectors such as mosquitoes and rodents.

“Accumulation of waste facilitates the spread of pathogens and disease vectors such as mosquitoes and rodents and increases the risk of outbreaks, particularly in densely populated or impoverished areas,” the WHO stated.

Environmentalist warns

Echoing the WHO’s concerns, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Statewide Waste and Environmental Education Foundation, Phillips Obuesi, urged the government to intervene urgently, warning that the situation could trigger a disease outbreak.

Obuesi argued that siting a dumpsite close to a market poses significant environmental and public health risks.

“If there was a market and the government came and sited a dumpsite near the market, it would be a very wrong step because there would be contamination,” he said.

According to him, residents should petition the relevant authorities to relocate either the dumpsite or the market.

“One has to make way because it is practically impossible for people not to get contaminated food items if there is a dumpsite by the market. Environmentally speaking, it is not proper. In terms of sanitation, it is not proper,” he added.

Obuesi maintained that, from an environmental standpoint, dumpsites should not be located near markets.

“Speaking environmentally, it is absolutely wrong for dumpsites to be sited close to a market. If a dumpsite is sited close to a market by the government, it behoves the people around that locality to call the attention of the government to relocate the market,” he said.

Ogun reacts

The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, confirmed in a telephone interview with this reporter that the government was aware of the condition of the market and had plans to clear the dumpsite.

According to him, the waste heap is part of a backlog that accumulated over several years of neglect.

“Every backlog of waste like that is an accumulation of years of abandonment. We have some of them in different parts of the state, including Sagamu, Ifo and other locations,” he said.

Oresanya explained that the current administration had undertaken efforts to clear such sites across the state since assuming office in 2019.

“We identified about 56 of those sites when we came in 2019, and we’ve been able to eradicate most of them. We are left with about three major backlog sites now, and the one at Oja Agbe is one of the critical ones that we plan to address,” he said.

He assured residents that the government was not unaware of the situation and was already working towards resolving it.

“I can assure you that we are not ignorant of what is there and that we are planning to clear it,” Oresanya added.

From declining patronage and fears of food contamination to reports of accidents, pregnancy losses and delayed access to emergency healthcare, the community and market’s predicament paints a troubling picture of neglect.

Although the Ogun State Government promises intervention, residents say time is running out, insisting that unless urgent action is taken to clear the dumpsite and rehabilitate the road, a preventable health or humanitarian crisis may only be a matter of time.

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