“We Are Killing Ourselves”: Yewande Adekoya Shares Why Cancer, Other Diseases Are Rising in Nigeria

• Nollywood actress Yewande Adekoya shared a video on Instagram addressing the growing health crisis in Nigeria
• The actress raised alarm over chemicals in food, fake products and collective greed she says are driving disease
• Her video came just 5 days after veteran actor Taiwo Hassan Ogogo died following a stage 4 cancer battle

Nollywood actress Yewande Adekoya has stepped forward with a passionate warning about Nigeria's deepening health crisis, pointing fingers not just at the government but at ordinary Nigerians themselves.

In a video posted to her Instagram page on August 28, 2026, Yewande Adekoya spoke at length about what she believes is fuelling the alarming rise of cancer and other life-threatening illnesses across the country.

Her message landed just five days after the death of veteran actor Taiwo Hassan Ogogo, who lost his battle with stage 4 cancer.

Several other Nollywood figures have also died recently from cancer and related diseases, including Alexx Ekubo, Tope Osoba, Aunty Ajara and Kola Oyewo.

Read also

Ibrahim Chatta, Itele, Ikeduba pay emotional tribute to late actor Ogogo, recall their time together

Just two days before Adekoya posted her video, veteran actor Jogunomi publicly disclosed he is battling prostate cancer.

Though she did not name any of them directly, the timing of her video was unmistakable.

At the heart of Yewande Adekoya's message was a call for collective accountability.

She argued that Nigerians cannot continue blaming external forces for a crisis they are actively contributing to.

"We are forgetting that we are the people, we are the ones in government, we are the ones in the market, we are the ones at the hospitals. We are the manufacturers, we are the retailers, we are the sellers, we are the buyers," she said.

The Yoruba actress went on to describe a troubling pattern of food adulteration she had come across, including sellers applying harmful chemicals to bananas to speed up ripening, mixing kerosene-scented chemicals into beans, adding dye to palm oil, and even using plastic nylon to fry plantains.

Read also

Lady who refused to off generator at midnight shares what she found inside in the morning

She read out comments from followers who had experienced the consequences firsthand.

One commenter identified as Mrs Lawal described buying bananas on the island and developing red, swollen palms almost immediately after handling them, with the affected banana turning black by the following day.

Another follower, Miss Quinty Forever, recounted how beans she had purchased began smelling of kerosene after soaking, a discovery her husband confirmed was caused by strong chemicals poured into the produce.

A crisis of greed and indifference in Nigeria

Yewande Adekoya did not spare buyers either. She noted that many consumers knowingly purchase counterfeit and substandard products simply because they are cheaper, calling it a cycle of mutual harm.

"We don't realise that we are killing ourselves. We are all the same. Everybody is greedy. Everybody is corrupt. Everybody wants fast money. So we don't care about human lives," she said.

She also addressed a cancer patient in her comments section, Akande Alarape Abbas, who shared that he receives chemotherapy every three weeks, offering him prayers and words of encouragement before closing the video with a rendition of "It Is Well."

Read also

Ogogo's Old Video Resurfaces, Shares How Deep His Bond With Yinka Quadri Was

In the caption of her Instagram video, actress Yewande Adekoya wrote:

"Chemicals in our foods, fruits and veggies. Who are the people that started this poisonous trend in this country."

Watch the full video of actress Yewande Adekoya raising alarm about practices behind the surge in the rate at which diseases grow in Nigeria below:

Actor Abiodun Thomas celebrates wife, Yewande Adekoya

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that actor Abiodun Thomas celebrated his wife and actress Yewande Adekoya as they marked their 10th wedding anniversary.

The actor shared throwback photos from their wedding day while renewing his vows and reaffirming his commitment to their marriage.

Abiodun expressed his enduring love for Yewande, promising to honour, support and cherish her as they look forward to forever.

Source: Legit.ng