A candlelight service held on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at LTV 8, Ikeja, to honour late Nollywood actress Temitope Osoba drew only a handful of Nollywood stars, with the majority of top Yoruba actors conspicuously absent. Among those who attended were Toyosi Adesanya, Jigan Babaoja, Alesh Sanni, and Foluke Daramola.
An Evening of Love, Music and Memories
The ceremony, held under the theme "An Evening of Love, Music and Memories," saw mourners dressed in white for a night of prayers, tributes, and song. The mood throughout was heavy, with those closest to the actress visibly struggling to come to terms with her sudden departure.
However, the gathering was notably missing the majority of the Yoruba film industry's biggest names, a conspicuous absence that did not go unnoticed on what was an emotional evening.
Death Announcement and Cancer Rumours
Tope Osoba's death was officially announced on Wednesday, August 5, 2026. The circumstances surrounding her passing quickly sparked public speculation, with many linking her death to breast cancer, a diagnosis she had publicly shared on August 5, 2025, exactly a year before she died.
Actor Alesh Sanni moved to counter those claims, stating that cancer was not the cause, though he did not offer any further clarity on what led to her death.
Family Speaks Out on Cause of Death
The family of late actress Tope Osoba addressed the swirling rumours directly on August 6, 2026, releasing an official statement in which they described reports connecting her death to a recurrence of breast cancer as "false, speculative, and entirely unauthorised."
They described such claims as not only baseless but deeply hurtful to a family already in mourning, and urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified accounts. The family confirmed that all official updates would be communicated solely through her verified social media channels.
Burial Arrangements
Tope Osoba is scheduled to be buried on Thursday, August 13, 2026. The burial service is scheduled to take place between 10:00 am and 11:00 am at Saint James Anglican Church, Iperu Remo, Ogun State, after which mourners will proceed to the Iperu Remo Cemetery for interment. Attendees have been requested to wear white.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nollywood actress Habibat Jinad shared an emotional account of her last conversation with Tope Osoba before her passing on August 5, 2026. Jinad disclosed that she had felt divinely prompted to reach out, leading to an eight-minute prayer call with Osoba, which she later posted proof of on Instagram.
While mourning her colleague, Jinad urged fans to always check on loved ones, stressing that no one truly knows the silent struggles others may carry.
