Dayo Adewunmi, known as “Sule Suebebe,” has kissed the dust. The grim reaper has taken a ride to Ekiti State and taken the life of one of his prestigious sons in the entertainment industry. Suebebe was born and raised by poor parents.
Despite the terrible childhood experience he had with poverty, he rose to stardom and launched himself to greatness through storytelling. If hard work and resiliency were to be humans, those who know Suebebe and how he rose to stardom would gladly mention his name.
Sadly, struggles do not define longevity. The veteran Yoruba comic actor who has blessed our screens for years has taken the final bow. He was a distinct clown who understood his audience. Like Baba Sala, Baba Suwe, Aluwe, Opebe, and a host of Yoruba comic actors, ‘Suebebe’ has a special trait and comic display that would send cold water to the spines of his audience.
Suebebe was a natural comedian. If you ever watched his movie or skit, you would discover that he’s comically blessed and does not force comic words to throw his audience up. He died at the age of 68 after years of struggling with sickness. As jovial as Suebebe was, who could have thought that he would die as a sad and lonely man buried in deep thoughts and enslaved by past actions?
I watched a video where he was interviewed by one Ibadan pastor, Ademola Amusan. Suebebe, a dying man, narrated some past actions and sought forgiveness from those he had wronged. That is what sickness and death do to the body. It makes the body lifeless and allows it to beg for life. He has a gift for spoken words.
Unlike others who dress in funny outfits to make people laugh, Suebebe would just utter some words to capture his audience. He was extremely committed to the business of filmmaking and did not labor in vain. At the early stage of his career, he enjoyed fame.
Just like leaves wither, the last moment of Dayo Adewunmi, popularly known as Sule Suebebe, was a sad and terrible experience. If words and comic acts could rescue Suebebe from the grasp of the grim reaper, we would still have him with us because he was a man of many words.
Suebebe’s passing is a tragic loss to Nollywood, particularly the Yoruba movie industry. For the comics industry, it’s a great loss. As a proud member of the comic industry, he devoted his time to the growth of the industry and worked assiduously with others to contribute to the growth of the entertainment industry. He rose to stardom in the early 2000s and was featured in several soap operas, where he showcased his raw talent and became a toast to many.
No man is responsible for his or her fate. Despite his flaws as a family man, which he acknowledged in an interview, he lived a life of legacy as a professional actor. He featured in over 100 movies, but he was most famous for a movie titled “Suku Suku Bam Bam,” which he produced in 2004. He also produced another movie titled “Ago Kan Oru,” which was not as popular as “Suku Suku Bam Bam.” Suebebe was more than an actor. He was also a versatile MC, TV presenter, and executive producer of the Suebebe TV YouTube channel.
In 2020, lovers of Yoruba movies observed that Suebebe became lean and his face was pale, but he was still doing what he loved most (acting). When he could no longer withstand the pressures of health issues, he put aside his fame and joined Facebook Live in 2023, where he begged for forgiveness and sought people’s help. He acknowledged his mistakes in the past and solicited financial help to cover his medical bills. Suebebe, who also acknowledged that he lived an irresponsible lifestyle, was seen on social media begging for money to treat his health challenges.
Pastor Ademola Amusan, popularly known as Agbala Gabriel, an Ibadan-based pastor, interviewed Sule Suebebe and allowed him to use his platform to solicit for funds. He was fortunate. Nigerians rallied around and donated massively for him through the bank account of Pastor Ademola Amusan, also known as Agbala Gabriel, who bought a plot of land within the church premises and built a house out of the donations.
Sadly, Suebebe passed away on Wednesday morning in a hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State, after a protracted illness. As we pay tribute to Dayo Adewunmi, better known by his stage name Sule Suebebe, we acknowledge his influence on the Yoruba film industry and the ways in which his work helped to expand the nation’s entertainment sector. Good night, champion.
