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Famous Nollywood actress Sola Onayiga passed away on July 18 and the cause of her death has yet to be revealed. She gained recognition for her performance as Ireti in the family drama, Fuji House of Commotion.
The news was announced by well-known movie critic Husseini Shaibu on Twitter, which reads:
“Just learnt that the accomplished Stage and Screen Actress and Fellow of Theatre Arts Auntie Sola Awojobi Onayiga passed on today. Auntie Sola is best known for living delightfully the role of Ireti aka Cooking practicals in the defunct TV sitcom ‘CHECKMATE!’ Journey well, Ma!”
Sola Onayiga’s cause of death and career explored
Though Onayiga's cause of death hasn't yet been revealed, according to a few reports, she was admitted to the ICU of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
However, the reasons behind Onayiga’s hospitalization remains unknown and further details are still awaited. The actress struggled with sickle cell anemia all her life. Her family members are yet to issue an official statement on the same and it remains to be seen if she has suffered from any other health issues in the past.
Sola Onayiga's career
Sola Onayiga was chosen by the Social Democratic Party in 2015 to represent the Ikorodu Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly. She finished her secondary education and joined the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
In an interview, she said:
“I was employed as an interviewer; that is, I interviewed those who went around the country to sample opinions about the suitability of Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory. This was around 1976 and 1977. I was posted to Dodan Barracks to interview the soldiers.”
She enrolled at the National Institute of Internal Auditors and left it to pursue theater studies at the University of Ife (OAU). She made her acting debut as a novice, performing in Fred Agbeyegbe’s The King Must Dance Naked, which was her first professional gig.
She was paid a professional fee for appearing as one of the lead characters, Queen Odosun. Her fans started calling her Queen Osun after this. She also appeared in Checkmate alongside a few more Nollywood films.
Meanwhile, it was her appearance on Fuji House of Commotion that made her familiar among the public. The sitcom was produced and directed by Amaka Igwe and was a spin-off of the soap opera, Checkmate. The basic premise of Fuji House of Commotion focuses on the life of a rich man married to four women and has to look after four kids.
Netizens pay tribute on Twitter
Sola Onayiga became a famous name in all these years as a talented actress. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about her demise. Some said that they were heartbroken to hear of the news of the actress' death.
Fans also spoke about the death of another Nollywood star, Ada Ameh, and paid tributes to both Onayiga and Ameh. Some fans said that because of the death of both the women, it was "quite a dark day for Nollywood."
Detailed information on Onayiga’s career, educational background, parents and date of birth are yet to be revealed.
