I abandoned acting career to care for baba — Daughter

The daughter of the recently departed legendary actor Abdulsalam Sanyaolu, also known as Charles Olumo and Agbako, Motunrayo “Iwalewa” Charles, has stated that she had to give up acting in order to care for her father in his old age.

Agbako passed away at the age of 101 on Thursday, October 31, at his home in Oniboku, Atan-Ota, Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area, Ogun State. In line with Islamic rites, he was buried the same day.

Speaking on what she wants the government to do for the late actor’s family, Iwalewa told Saturday Beats, “The government should do whatever it deems fit for the family. But, they should understand that the person who took care of the old man, just like I did, won’t be able to do any other thing. I am also an actor but I did not go to any location for four years, because I had to take care of him. So, the family should be taken care of, and the person who cared for baba should also be well treated.”

Recounting the late actor’s last moments, Iwalewa stated that contrary to some reports, Agbako died at home and not on a movie set. She said, “He died in my arms. After I bathed him, I put him on a chair and brushed his teeth. I then gave him water to rinse his mouth and he went quiet. I took him to the bed, gave him the tea I prepared but it spilt as I was trying to feed him. I had never experienced anything like that (a person’s death) before. Then, I called for help. People are saying he died on set, but he died on his bed in my arms.”

On whether he had any premonition of his death or did anything in his last days that indicated that, she said, “He did not say anything. He was just sick briefly and passed on.”

Speaking on further plans to commemorate Agbako’s death, she stated, “The funeral rites will be concluded on the seventh day. The ceremony will be held at the same place he celebrated his 100th birthday in the Iju-Atan area of Ogun State.”

She also noted that the late Agbako’s colleagues in the film industry had plans to celebrate him, she said, “We (family members) just had a meeting (Thursday night) and they said we should let them know when we are done with it. I believe they plan to do something. They should do whatever they can to help, so I won’t regret helping my father.”

Even though many people perceived her father as a dangerous man because of the roles he played in movies, Iwalewa said, “My father was not a tough man. The fact that someone acts as a witch in a movie does not mean the person is a witch in real life. Some people think my father was wicked but he was not.

“Sometimes, when he wanted to board public transport, he would go in last, because if he entered early, some people might not want to board the bus. Whenever he entered the bus, some of the passengers would even start to fret. However, he was only doing his job acting as a bad man in movies, and he did it well because he was a true actor. That action was in him till his last moments as he still used to go to movie locations. At times, he would just go there to be in the company of other actors. You know that when actors are on set, they are usually happy and in high spirits.”

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