LAGOS—Prominent Yoruba genre actress-Remi Abiola, yesterday morning died at a New York hospital, where she was rushed to last week following a severe medical crisis.
A reliable source, who has acted as the godfather of most Yoruba actors and actresses in the U.S., told The Diasporan Star- African Diaspora’s leading tabloid in the U.S., and published by Ekerete Udoh “we lost her this morning. The doctors did all they could to revive her, but it was not successful. She was taken off life support. We will miss her tremendously.”
Remi Abiola-was said to have been married to the late politician and the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12 Presidential election, Basorun M.K.O. Abiola, in 1992, was brought to the United States by Otunba Tai Balofin- the publisher of the New York-based publication-The Third Eye (now defunct) last year, to receive an award of excellence alongside other prominent Yoruba genre actors and actresses.
At the end of the award, she elected to remain in New York, and sources say she was working and taking care of herself and seemed to have adjusted to the rigours and pace of life in New York. Until last week that she went into a coma from where she never recovered, she did not have any major health crises. Some are attributing her death to stress and other challenges that newly-arrived immigrants encounter in the U.S.
Remi Abiola was in her 50s and efforts are being made by friends, fans and colleagues to fly her body back to Nigeria for funeral. Mr. Jide Kosoko, ANTAP President, confirmed the development to our reporter in Lagos.
“ I just received the shocking news through the son. Before the news came, I had been in touch with some very close friends of the actress while she was in a coma and I prayed all through the traumatic period that she came out of the situation alive. But whatever happened, we thank God that she led a good life.”
Source: VanGuard
