PAINFUL EXIT:
Nigeria’s Famous Nollywood Actor, BABA SUWE Suffers Stroke caused by Chronic Diabetes, dies of Neuropathy (Nerve Damage) complications arising from Polyuria
…Battled disease for 10 years, emaciated as he tried to stay alive
‘I can confirm that Babatunde Omidina, alias Baba Suwe is dead. I have no of idea how and where he died’-Mr. LATIN, TAMPAN President
Deceased LAST INTERVIEW: “NDLEA tortured, humiliated and wronged me for false drug accusation in 2011. They (NDLEA) damaged my hard-earned reputation and integrity. I have been demanding public apology from NDLEA to be published in national newspapers to restore my name for years, yet they refused. My current predicament is linked to the ordeal officials of NDLEA subjected me to while in its custody. Friends and family members have taken me to different hospitals, my health condition is getting worse. My situation is so bad now that I can’t walk without a walking stick. NDLEA got an appeal against me so they would not pay me my N25million damages…”
BY BOLATITO ODERINDE, MOVIE Correspondent, Lagos & CHARLES INYANG, ART/ENTERTAINMENT Reporter, Abuja
NIGERIANS AND AFRICANS are mourning the demise of ace actor, Nigeria’s leading Nollywood practitioner, BABATUNDE OMIDINA, a.k.a. ‘Baba Suwe’. He battled Chronic Diabetes for 10 years, suffered stroke in the process, as he could no longer walk on his feet. He eventually died of complications arising from Polyuria on Monday, as he bid the world goodbye. Polyuria in diabetes occur when you have excess levels of sugar in the blood. Normally, when your kidneys create urine, they reabsorb all the sugar and direct it back to the bloodstream. With type 1 diabetes, excess glucose ends up in the urine, where it pulls more water and results in more urine. Nerve damage (neuropathy) medically is one of the most common diabetes complications. Nerve damage causes numbness and pain. Nerve damage most often affects the feet and legs but can also affect digestion, blood vessels, and heart.
Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood sugar (glucose) levels to be abnormally high. Urination and thirst are increased, and people may lose weight even if they are not trying to. Chronic Diabetes arises from complications caused by Polyuria.
Corroborating the news of Baba Suwe, the President of the Theatre and Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Bolani Amusan popularly known as ‘Mr. Latin’ confirmed the news of the death of veteran comedian and actor. Mr. Latin says he has no further information concerning the death of his colleague other than the call he received from the deceased’s son to confirm the rumours. His words: “I have no information right now on how and where he died. All I can tell you is that he is dead”.
During his last interview, Baba Suwe linked his current predicament to the ordeals of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA officials subjected him to while in its custody, he reportedly said: “NDLEA tortured, humiliated and wronged me for false drug accusation in 2011. They (NDLEA) damaged my hard-earned reputation and integrity. I have been demanding public apology from NDLEA to be published in national newspapers to restore my name, yet they refused.
“My current predicament is linked to the ordeal officials of NDLEA subjected me to while in its custody. Friends and family members have taken me to different hospitals, yet my condition is getting worse. My situation is so bad now that I can’t walk without a walking stick. NDLEA got an appeal against me so they would not pay me my N25million damages. The actor also spent a month in a hospital at Rhodes Island, near New York, in the United States, where he received treatment for complications arising from diabetes and other ailments. Since the time I returned to Nigeria, I have been going up and down”.
It was reported earlier that popular comic actor, Baba Suwe was down with chronic diabetes. In the wake of the news of the actor’s failing health going public, colleagues and fans have rallied together to raise cash for him to undergo necessary treatment.
In 2019, Mr. Latin said TAMPAN had been taking care of the veteran actor’s medical bills since 2017, under the administration of immediate-past President, Dele Odule.
Baba Suwe’s ailment landed him at Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Idi Araba, Lagos and according to Mr. Latin, the development was as a result of the approval of the association’s appeal to the Federal Government to foot the medical bill of the veteran.
During an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Baba Suwe revealed that he would release a movie, ‘Oya Gbe Ti’ detailing his 2011 encounter with NDLEA. He was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in 2011 on the suspicion that he ingested cocaine wraps. During the encounter, the popular comedian was detained for three weeks by the agency, but no drugs were found.
Then, a Lagos High Court subsequently ordered NDLEA to pay the veteran actor N25 million for unlawfully detaining him and to also tender a public apology to him; a ruling the drugs agency appealed.
According to Baba Suwe, those conditions were not met, and his health continued to suffer in the for many years. Not long after, NDLEA got a judgement at the Court of Appeal in Igbosere, Lagos, which quashed the judgement of Justice Yetunde Idowu of an Ikeja High Court, which awarded N25 million as damages to Baba Suwe over infringement of his fundamental human rights by the NDLEA.
The appellate declared that the Lagos High Court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain in the first place the fundamental human rights suit filed by late Lagos radical lawyer and rights activist, Bamidele Aturu on behalf of the comedian.
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