The Yoruba movie industry has been thrown into mourning following the shocking death of fast-rising actress Omotola Odunsi, fondly known by her colleagues as Motola.
Popular actor and filmmaker Odunlade Adekola, who trained the late actress at his film school, has personally visited her family to pay his respects.
On Friday, the 48-year-old screen legend shared a video of the visit on Instagram, captioning it:
“UNQUESTIONABLE GOD 😔 R I P OMOLANI.”
Odunlade had earlier expressed disbelief over the news of her passing, writing:
“Jesus Christ. RIP Omotola.”
The heartbreaking news of Omotola’s death was first made public on Thursday by her colleague, actor Akinola ‘Segbowe’ Akano. In his tribute, Akinola shared photos of the actress alongside screenshots of their last chat.
In their conversation, he had checked up on her and she replied that she had been unwell but was feeling better. Tragically, just hours later, she passed away.
“Motola! Strange but I tried checking on you at the wee hours of that morning. You said you were FINE & BACK! I’m in shock,” Akinola wrote.
Omotola began her acting journey during her 200-level at Olabisi Onabanjo University, where she studied microbiology. Starting with stage plays, her big break came when she met Odunlade during an audition. Recognising her potential, he enrolled her in his acting academy, from which she graduated in 2023.
Since then, Omotola had graced the screen in several notable Yoruba films, including Lisabi: The Uprising, Officer Adaeze, Ayanmo Ire, Ifedayo, Doctor Adunni, Ajanaku, Dagogo, Darkness, President Kuti, and Folagbade.
Tributes have been flooding social media as friends, colleagues, and fans struggle to come to terms with her untimely passing.
Actress Biola Adebayo wrote:
“Sad!!! I just heard about the demise of that beautiful lady. It’s really heartbreaking. May her soul rest in peace. May God console her loved ones.”
Ashabi Simple, mother of singer Portable’s child, also penned a moving tribute.
Discussion about this post