Theatre, moviedom drown in tears over departed Yomi Obileye

Tributes have continued to pour on for veteran actor of the stage and screen, Otunba Jimmy Olugbenga Abayomi Obileye, who passed on last week.

Popularly known as Yomi Obileye, the deceased, who is elder brother of broadcaster and actor, Taiwo Obileye, reportedly died after a protracted illness.

Some of his junior colleagues in the thespian vocation, including United Kingdom- (UK) based writer, theatre and film director, Biyi Bandele, and writer, attorney, actor and director, Tunji Bamishigbin, described him as a jolly good fellow and fine actor, who would be sorely missed.

Tunji reacted to the news of his death thus: “Oh my God! He was to be back on the television soap, Palace, with us.

“I have been postponing speaking with him for the last two weeks. I planned to visit him after the lockdown. Now death has stricken.

“Uncle Yomi was a great jolly good fellow. He was with us in Tade Ogidan’s Hostages between the late 1980s and1991, a shoot that took us about two years to complete due to so many factors.

“We all just left the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and Tade had kept the script with him for long, waiting for the opportunity that would make it happened. With little money, we turned his house to studio and office, making him to move from one section of the house to another for us to use any space we chose, even in his retirement.

“It was in the midst of this that Uncle Yomi came in as part of our ambitious film before Nollywood was dreamt of… I have been procrastinating to pay him a surprise visit for the past four weeks before the lockdown, but l never got to see my dear Uncle Yomi, a friendly, humble, lovely, kind-hearted, ever in joyous mood, always wanting to ensure his surroundings is bubbling and no one is in a bad mood.”