Veteran Nigerian actor Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, has revealed that false rumours surrounding the deaths of his mentor and his mentor’s wife almost forced him to leave the acting profession permanently.
In a recent interview with Feel Right News TV, the 73-year-old actor shared the deep emotional toll he faced after the passing of his former boss and mentor, Ojo Ladipo (popularly known as Baba Mero), in 1978. The tragedy was compounded seven years later when Baba Mero’s wife also passed away.
Salami explained that during this difficult period, public speculation and malicious rumours falsely accused him of being responsible for their deaths.
“The suffering was a lot and made me conclude that I am not interested in theatre anymore,” Salami stated. “There was nothing the world did not say about me; they even mentioned that I was the one who was killing them.”
Despite the intense pressure and false allegations, Salami chose to continue his late mentor’s legacy. As the second-in-command at the time, he assumed leadership of the Awada Kerikeri Theatre Group following Ladipo’s death, a move that eventually propelled him into the national spotlight.
Salami, whose career began in 1964, has since become a major force in the Yoruba film industry as an actor, producer, and director. His creative legacy lives gon through his sons, I’ll Femi, Tope, and Sodiq Adebayo, who are also successful actors and filmmakers. The veteran actor recently announced plans to release a new movie to mark his 60th year in the entertainment industry.
