By Jayne Usen |
Veteran Nigerian actress, dancer, and vocalist, Toun Oni is dead. The actress passed away Wednesday morning while being rushed to the hospital. <-- more -->
“She complained about not feeling too well last night and then this morning she felt very weak so we had to rush her to the St Paul’s Hospital, Ebute-Metta, but she passed away before we arrived there,” said her son, Toyin Oni. “We were rushing her to the hospital from our Ajah home.” The body of the late actress has been deposited at St Paul’s Hospital, while funeral arrangements are currently being finalised at the family house at 66a Brick Field Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos.
Fondly called Mama T, Toun Oni was one of Nigeria’s most successful cross-over actresses. She was also a recipient of the prestigious Order of Niger (OON), conferred in 2006. A staunch Jehovah Witness, she will be remembered for her many movie roles. Her most memorably roles were undoubtedly on television, with parts in one of Nigeria’s longest running soap opera, ‘Checkmate,’ and the popular ‘Fuji House of Commotion,’ where she played Mama Moji.
Equally at home in movies and television, she tended to feature more in soap operas, and it is for these that she will be remembered by most fans. Amaka Igwe, who produced ‘Fuji House of Commotion,’ could not be reached for her reaction on the late actress’ death as at press time. Toun Oni’s career dated back to the 70s. She was aged 67.
