Some Nollywood stars did not help with Temitope Osoba’s burial, Actress

Nollywood actress Toyosi Adesanya has claimed that some of her colleagues did not help with the burial of late actress Temitope Osoba. They said Osoba was not a member of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria.

Adesanya made this claim on Tuesday during a candlelight procession and artists’ night for Osoba in Ikeja, Lagos State.

She is the National Director of Social and Welfare of TAMPAN and represented the association’s President, Bolaji Amusan, known as Mr Latin, at the event.

Adesanya urged those in the entertainment industry to support each other in life and death. She criticized what she called deception and “eye service” among colleagues.

She said some people resisted efforts to raise funds for Osoba’s burial after she passed away. They questioned whether Osoba was a member of TAMPAN.

“Do you know that when Tope died, I was talking to the president about soliciting some funds for her burial? Some of our colleagues declined, saying that she wasn’t a member of TAMPAN and that she didn’t practice.

“Someone who is dead and I can confirm was a member in Eti-Osa chapter, yet you are still beefing her. You people are going about saying that they shouldn’t contribute a dime for her because she’s not a member. That is bad. The same thing happened when Murphy Afolabi died,” she said.

Osoba died less than a year after she shared her battle with breast cancer and asked for help to pay for her treatment.

In August 2025, she announced her return to acting after surgery and other treatment, saying she had been declared cancer-free. Her death stirred reactions and controversy among colleagues and fans, especially about the support she received from the entertainment community before and after her passing.

Adesanya called on actors and other practitioners to stop waiting until their colleagues die before they celebrate or support them. She emphasized that people should be appreciated while they are still alive.

“I have a message for you all, let’s celebrate ourselves while we are alive. Don’t judge anybody, let’s focus on our lives. Temitope came, saw but lost the battle to death,” she said.

The actress also pointed out what she called hypocrisy in the industry. She noted that the number of people who attended Osoba’s candlelight procession seemed to contrast with the support given to the late actress when she needed it.

Adesanya urged practitioners to replace rivalry and division with love, unity, and real support. She stressed that death should not be the time colleagues begin to show concern for one another.