9jaNollywoodstars

World third largest movie producing industry Nollywood recorded another tragic death of one its members,a comedian Monsurat Omidina, popularly known as Moladun Kenkelewu in the early hours of Tuesday (Sept 1). Moladun was a wife to an ace comedian Babatunde Omidina (Baba Suwe).

She gave the last breath at her Ikorodu residence in Lagos. She was assumed to have died of hypertension; sources revealed that thick blood was found dripping from her nose and her two ears simultaneously. Before her death she has been off the set of acting for about three years, presumably to have been battling with her failing health. Preparations were immediately put in place for her burial her according to Islamic rites, the source confirmed.

Monsurat Omidina, 46, left behind two kids she had for Babatunde Omidina. Moladun started her acting career in Ibadan, Oyo State, in the early 90s before she moved to Lagos where she married Baba Suwe. She had been sick for some time and was billed to visit the UK Embassy on Tuesday morning to obtain a visa to travel to England for the needed treatment.

Moladun didn't just turn into a Nigerian superstar over the night as she had begun her career as a stage performer in 1982 after a chance meeting with her boss,Chief Olowookere,in Ibadan.She joined the group and was performing with the group until she joined another group called Loveally some years later.She became one of the well-watched screen stars after she starred in a Yoruba television series called Okanlawon in the early 1990s and played the role of Okanlawon's mother.

Her superb performance won the hearts of several viewers and movie practitioners after which she started getting roles in the then home videos.Her way,however, crossed that of her hubby,Babatunde,in 1994 after the death of her ex-husband, Kareem,in 1993,while she had started making waves in Nollywood.They got married in 1995 and the marriage was contracted in a registry.The union produced two lovely kids, Okiki Omidina (9) and Halimat Omidina (4),though the couple had issues separately before their marriage.Moladun had two children,Jelili Adekunle Kareem and Omolara Kareem,while Baba Suwe has a son,Junior from their previous unions.

With about four flicks to her credit,'Obakan','Ola Ore','Kokunrin To Atorin' and 'Atiko,' Moladun holds sway as a female movie comedienne,who has been able to distinguish herself from her contemporaries in the last 27 years of being in the world of make-believe.Born into the household of Rauf Oyeniyi and Munirat Bamidele of the Ile Bara in Opooyeosa,Oyo State,Monsurat was the third child in the family of six;but couldn't even live to fulfill some of several mothers' dreams -to witness the wedding ceremony of her children.

It was gathered that Moladun's children from her first marriage,Jelili and Omolara, were already preparing to go into the holy matrimony when the cold pangs of death snatched her away at just 47.Those who know her very well said she had been suffering from high blood pressure several years back and many members of her family knew this.The disease was said to have troubled her existence for some years, but for the love and care showered her by those around her, she had managed to live this long.

Before her death, Moladun was ran a food restaurant inside one of the shops situated in her hubby's shopping complex in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.The business, which Moladun was using as an alternative source of livelihood,was said to have been more of a family business as her late mother also ran a food canteen while Moladun was younger and she joined in the business before she found her missing rib in the world of make-believe.

Babasuwe in an emotion ladden voice said "she was attacked recently and I had warned her to take as much rest as possible and in that measure I ensured that she was treated by the doctor and even tried securing her a UK visa to go and have some rest before returning later next month."

"When the Ramadan fast started, I kicked against her fasting because of her health and though she wanted to, she listened to me as a good wife that she was. Last Sunday, she invited her asalatu group to our residence at Ewu-Elepe in Ikorodu area and they had fun. On Monday, I went to the office and came back after I had ensured that she had all she wanted,though she pleaded with me to allow her fast and I allowed her.

"And when I returned on Monday night, she was so radiant and we both played around the house as she cooked our dinner and she even insisted that we put calls across to our several friends and relatives, which I obliged and that was all that night until we both went to bed.

"The next morning while I was preparing to go to work I told Junior (Babatunde's son from another woman) to go and wake her up because we don't sleep in the same room, so that I could drop her off at the visa centre, where she was supposed to go for her thumb printing session.

"My son raised an alarm upon entering the room, but before we rushed her to Ajayi Memorial Hospital she had given up the ghost," Babatunde added.

There have been tales that the actor may have conspired to kill the woman. His response: "I don't intend to make any uncomplimentary remarks about anybody neither do I intend to turn the pages of newspapers into where my family matters are discussed. But this is what I would say, every couple have their ups and downs, we had our own little squabbles and we were able to settle them no matter how big they come. My wife knew how she pampered me and how I pampered her before her death. Why would I want to kill her? Why would I kill someone I married for over nine years and married no other woman, someone that saw me through thick and thin, someone that loved me with all her heart and I loved equally?" Baba Suwe asked.

"I insisted that she should go for a bed rest and vacation in London for many weeks, I ensured that she was fine and okay, I loved her with all my heart, I didn't stop her from achieving her aims rather I supported her all through,why would I want to kill her?" he said sobbing profusely.

Some people are however not impressed.WOMEN ARISE a women advocacy group with special interest in eradication of violence against women have requested for a full investigation into the cause of death. Its President, Joe Okei-Odumakin, has written to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Supo Sasore (SAN).The letter stated: "We are asking you to order a coroner's inquest into the death of popular actress Mrs. Monsurat Omidina who died on Monday 31st August, 2009.We are constrained to make this request given the fact that there have been controversies over the cause of death of the late actress.

"While her daughter, Omolara Kareem and younger sister, Mujidat were reported to have claimed that her death was due to the aggravation of her hypertensive condition as a result of quarrels with her husband,the publisher of Wall Street Journal, Mr. Wole Arisekola directly accused the deceased's husband, Mr. Babatunde Omidina a.k.a. Baba Suwe to have beaten her to death.

Similarly in the month of July another star actress and wife of the late politician MKO Abiola, Mrs. Remi Abiola, was said to have died of lung cancer in America.Until her death,Remi too was a top actress in the movie scene and her dominance was felt more in the Yoruba genre of the movie industry. She relocated to America last year when she went for an award ceremony organized by The Third Eye,a publication that is now defunct.Remi stayed back in America after the award because she loved life there.She got a job and started working there,settling into life of an immigrant.

She reportedly slumped and went into coma last July; she was rushed to hospital where she was placed on life-support machine. She eventually died after the life support machine was unplugged, thereby throwing Nollywood especially, the Yoruba genre into state of deep mourning. She is survived by her family members and two children, out of which one is said to belong to late MKO Abiola. Remi who used to work for Nigeria Airways as an air hostess, trained in United Kingdom as a stage actor at the Fielding School for Dramatic Arts. Her foray into movies started with television drama that was popular in her time in the 80s and 90s. She started home video in 1989. Her mother roles in Yoruba movie and apt delivery endeared her to many lovers of movies in the industry. She was a household name in the industry until her death.