Oga Bello Recalls Dark Chapter That Almost Ended His Acting Career: “They Said I Was Killing Them”
- Veteran actor Adebayo Salami has opened up about the painful events that nearly made him abandon Nollywood.
- The movie legend recalled being accused after the deaths of two people who meant everything to him.
- Oga Bello also revealed why he eventually chose to continue despite the emotional burden.
Veteran Nollywood actor Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, has shared that public accusations and emotional trauma almost forced him to quit acting.
The 73-year-old screen icon made the revelation during a recent interview with Feel Right News TV.
He reflected on the deaths of his mentor, Ojo Ladipo, popularly known as Baba Mero, and the late actor's wife.
Source: Instagram
According to the respected filmmaker, those losses remain the saddest moments of his life and almost brought an end to the career that later made him one of Yoruba cinema's biggest names.
Oga Bello recounts painful loss
Speaking emotionally, Oga Bello said Baba Mero's death in 1978 shattered him because he was not only his boss but also his mentor and father figure in the industry.
He explained that watching Baba Mero battle illness before passing away made the experience even more heartbreaking.
The veteran actor disclosed that just when he thought he was gradually healing, tragedy struck again seven years later when Baba Mero's wife also died.
According to him, the second loss completely broke his spirit.
He stated:
"The saddest day of my life was when my boss died, Baba Mero. It is not just that day; the sickness and everything surrounding his death were very painful."
Beyond dealing with grief, Oga Bello said he also had to endure shocking allegations from members of the public.
According to him, some people falsely claimed he was responsible for the deaths of both Baba Mero and his wife.
"There was nothing the world did not say about me. They even mentioned that I was the one killing them," he recalled.
The veteran actor admitted that the accusations, combined with the emotional pain, made him decide he no longer wanted anything to do with theatre.
He shared
"The suffering was too much. I made up my mind that I was no longer interested in acting."
Why he refused to quit
Despite reaching his breaking point, Oga Bello said he eventually realised someone had to preserve Baba Mero's legacy.
As the next senior member of the theatre group, he reluctantly accepted the responsibility of leading the troupe after his mentor's death.
He admitted that the decision came with enormous challenges, many of which he has chosen not to discuss publicly.
"When my boss died in 1978, I was the next man after him. We had to continue. We had to immortalise his name."
Oga Bello began his acting journey in 1964 with Baba Mero's Young Concert Party before the group later evolved into the famous Awada Kerikeri Theatre Group.
He later made history by featuring in Ajani Ogun, regarded as the first Yoruba-language film.
Watch Oga Bello's interview where he spoke about his dark time:
Source: Instagram
Femi Adebayo praises his father
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Femi Adebayo shared how his father influenced his journey into the legal profession and the Nigerian movie industry.
The actor initially studied law because his father admired the profession but could not afford the training during his own youth.
Femi Adebayo also explained that he later abandoned his legal career for acting after realising he could earn ₦50,000 for three days on a movie set compared to his ₦20,000 monthly lawyer salary.
Source: Legit.ng
