The death of Nollywood actress Temitope “Tope” Osoba has become mired in controversy, with conflicting accounts, unverified allegations and a postponed burial fuelling public concern over the true circumstances surrounding her final days.
Osoba died on August 5, 2026, at the age of 40. She was a popular Yoruba actress and producer whose death came about two years after she publicly opened up about her battle with breast cancer, a difficult period that involved treatment, surgery, fundraising and a long recovery.
Because of her medical history, early reports quickly linked her death to cancer-related complications. However, her family rejected those reports, describing accounts about the circumstances of her death as false, speculative and unauthorised.
Controversy over how she died intensified after her fiancé, Prophet Itunu Onadeko, disputed reports that she died from poisoning or complications from breast cancer. Onadeko, the Shepherd-in-charge of CCC Onibuore Cathedral in the Bogije area of Ibeju-Lekki, gave an account claiming Osoba died inside a police station in Ikorodu, Lagos State, rather than from complications linked to her earlier cancer battle, saying he received news of her death through a late-night phone call.
However, her family claimed that Osoba died inside the vehicle before she could receive medical attention. The conflicting accounts have fuelled questions about what transpired between the actress’s appearance at the police station in Ikorodu and her eventual death in Sagamu.
Osoba’s maternal aunt, Pejuola Ogunesan, has said the actress repeatedly predicted she would die on the day she eventually passed away, alleging that Osoba told her at a police station that her fiancé had told her she would die that day.
According to Pejuola, she and Osoba had been estranged after the actress left Evercare Hospital, Lekki, in 2023 with Onadeko and actress Foluke Daramola while receiving treatment for breast cancer, with Osoba accusing the family of taking her phone away while preparing for surgery and subsequently blocking them. The aunt said Osoba had been having trouble sleeping and reported seeing “monsters,” and had been advised to seek spiritual intervention before her death. Pejuola further alleged that Osoba jumped out of a vehicle after officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority stopped a vehicle ahead of them, and that the actress insisted she be taken to a police station. These claims have not been independently verified.
Speaking at Osoba’s candlelight service on August 11, fellow actress Foluke Daramola insisted that breast cancer was not the cause of death, revealing that Osoba had been declared cancer-free by doctors after only the lump was removed, before it developed into full-blown cancer. “Right now, we don’t know what killed her, but I know she didn’t die of cancer, but something else. The police have started their investigation to know the cause of death,” Daramola said.
The controversy has also drawn allegations from actress Basira Badia, who claimed that Osoba was badly treated before her death. Badia said she had evidence to support her claims and would make it public after the burial. These allegations have not been independently verified.
Separately, claims have circulated online alleging that Osoba accused a church member, identified as Pelumi, of raping her in church and recording the act. Pelumi has denied the allegation, reportedly claiming instead that Osoba sometimes lost her memory and became aggressive while under the influence of drugs. None of these claims has been independently verified or established as fact.
The Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) has opened an investigation into Osoba’s death and the allegations involving Onadeko, a shepherd within the church. The church said it was “not folding our arms and watching from the kerb” while its name was allegedly being dragged into the controversy, and said it had commenced a discreet investigation committed to establishing the truth.
The church stressed that practices such as idolatry, occultism or the use of charms have no place within its doctrine, and cautioned that the allegations involving Onadeko have not been established as facts. It said its decision to investigate should not be interpreted as confirmation of any of the claims against him.
Osoba had been billed for burial in Iperu Remo, Ogun State, but her family announced that the ceremony had been postponed indefinitely, with a new date and venue to be communicated later. The postponement came shortly after a candlelight procession and artists’ night were held in her honour in Lagos, with the families saying it was to allow for further arrangements and the resolution of pending issues.
Actress Toyosi Adesanya, National Director of Social and Welfare of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), alleged that some colleagues declined to support Osoba’s burial, claiming she was not a TAMPAN member. There have also been broader concerns within Nollywood about the level of support Osoba received during her final days and after her death.
