Nollywood actress Temitope Kofoworola Osoba has died at the age of 40. Fellow actor Alesh Ola Sanni announced the news on Instagram on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, saying she passed on Tuesday evening.
“Couldn’t sleep since last night. Rest well. Rest in peace, my dearest sister, Temitope Osoba. We had an amazing time and created wonderful memories together. Till we meet again,”
Sanni wrote.Her family later confirmed the death in a statement on her official Instagram page, describing her as more than a public figure and noting that she inspired many with her talent and kindness. The Awonuga/Osoba family also rejected circulating reports about the cause of death.
The numerous claims circulating on social media and various blogs regarding the circumstances surrounding her death are false, speculative, and entirely unauthorised,
They urged the public to stop sharing unverified information and said any further details would come only through official family channels.
Osoba had publicly battled breast cancer after discovering a lump in late 2024. She underwent surgery in
November 2024 and sought support for a second procedure. In August 2025 she announced she had beaten the
disease and returned to acting, releasing an emotional video about rebranding and rebuilding. She promoted
her film Cost of A Lie and marked her 40th birthday in December 2025 as a victory. On the
evening before her death she posted the WhatsApp status Ogo Tuntun, a Yoruba phrase meaning
A New Glory.
Born December 2, 1985, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, she was raised largely by her paternal grandmother after losing both parents young. She started as a dancer and video vixen before entering acting in 2005 when she was spotted at a movie rehearsal. She became known in Yoruba Nollywood for roles in films including Gucci Girls, Igboro Ti Daru, Ile Owo, Oogun Mi, and Single Ladies, which she also produced.
Burial arrangements have been announced. The funeral service holds on Thursday, August 13, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Saint James Anglican Church, Iperu Remo, Ogun State. Interment follows immediately at Iperu Remo Cemetery. The family has asked mourners to wear white.
The timing sits close to another recent industry loss. Ghanaian actress Beverly Afaglo, who also fought cancer publicly, was laid to rest on August 8, 2026, at the State House in Accra. Both women had spoken openly about their health battles and returned to work after treatment, only for their stories to end within days of each other. The parallel has not gone unnoticed among West African entertainment audiences following both Nollywood and Ghallywood.
Osoba’s final public message of “new glory” now sits against the family’s firm rejection of the cancer narrative that dominated early headlines. Colleagues continue to post tributes while the family prepares for the white burial in Iperu Remo next week.
The white attire request and the church service in her hometown mark the next public step. Any further official word on circumstances will come from the family alone.