Is Iyabo Oko alive or dead? Confusion shrouds veteran Nollywood star's health status
There is confusion about whether veteran actress Sidikat Odukanwi, popularly known as Iyabo Oko, is alive or dead.
Despite initial reports that the popular Nigerian star is dead, it has now been confirmed that she's alive. This comes after Oko was previously deemed to have passed away but came back alive three hours later. Bisi Aisha, her daughter, provided updates on Instagram, revealing how the 62-year-old Nollywood actress moved her hand about three hours after she was pronounced dead, The Punch reported.
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Aisha took to Instagram late Wednesday night, January 5, and shared a series of posts about her mother's passing. “My mum is gone. Rest well mummy. May ur soul Rest In Peace mummy," she wrote. The following morning, however, she updated the post to say, "Wonderful being, she moved her hand after being confirmed dead three hours ago. God, we will forever praise your holy name.”
Oko's reported death was also acknowledged by fellow actress Foluke Daramola-Salako, who initially wrote on Instagram, “And finally we lost her… RIP Iyabo Oko, we did our best but God knows best." However, she later updated that Oko was no longer dead. “Just heard from her daughter again that she moved her hand and she is still alive. Hallelujah! She is alive," she wrote. “It was her same daughter that announced her death before and she was the one that says is alive now."
One of Oko's daughters, Olamide, previously told The Punch that her mother was diagnosed with ischaemic stroke about five years ago but chose to keep her health issues private. “What affected my mum was the fact that she was not going for her medical check-ups," Olamide told the outlet. "I want Nigerians to help provide a car for her. What happened (to her) could have been prevented but because of the unavailability of a car, things took a different turn. She lives very far from the hospital." She continued, “When she had her last ‘attack’, I had to get a motorcycle to convey her to the junction before I could get a cab to pick her. She was diagnosed with a right ischemia stroke some years back. The first health scare happened about five years ago but she did not want anyone to know about it. My elder siblings even flew her to China for better medical treatment and she got better. Sadly, she had two other ‘attacks’."
She said her mother was adamant about not telling the public about her condition. “But, she instructed us not to tell anyone about it, that she would be fine. But seven days ago, she had another attack that affected her limbs," Olamide said. "However, she is getting better. She can now talk and respond to people. The doctors have assured us that with the help of physiotherapy, she would be able to use her limbs again." The embattled daughter added, “We spoke out because we now need financial help. Her children are doing their best but they can’t do everything. Actresses like Foluke Daramola, Iyabo Ojo, Mercy Aigbe, and Biodun Okeowo have assisted financially in the past.”