Sheikh Tajudeen Adewumi clears the air over late actor’s money, says Ogogo entrusted him with the funds for a family building project.
The Chief Imam of Ilaro, Sheikh Tajudeen Adewumi, has clarified the circumstances surrounding the N25 million entrusted to him by late Yoruba actor, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, saying the money was intended for the reconstruction of the actor’s grandfather’s house and had nothing to do with a mosque project.
Adewunmi made the clarification in an interview with BBC Yoruba, shared on Instagram, following renewed questions and speculation over the purpose of the money after Ogogo’s death.
The cleric said his close relationship with the veteran actor made Ogogo comfortable enough to entrust the substantial sum to him shortly after returning from a hospital visit.
“I am so close to Alhaji Taiwo Hassan; our houses are in the same neighbourhood,” he said.
According to Adewunmi, Ogogo contacted him after the actor had returned from the hospital and explained that he wanted to deposit the money with him because he intended to travel to India for medical treatment.
“When I got home after visiting him at the hospital, he called and said he wanted to keep money with me so he could complete his grandfather’s house. He said the house was not in good condition and he wanted to rebuild a structure on it. He then transferred N25 million, with the excuse that he was likely to go to India for treatment,” he added.
Imam documented transaction
Adewunmi said he took steps to document the transaction and immediately informed his son and members of Ogogo’s family, stressing that he wanted there to be a clear record of the money in case anything happened to either him or the actor.
“When I got the alert, I informed my son, Adam, to state it somewhere because we did not know who would die first, or in case anything happened to me.”
The disclosure became particularly important after Ogogo died in August 2026 at the age of 66, triggering widespread tributes from colleagues, fans and other members of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Following the actor’s death, rumours emerged suggesting that the N25 million in the imam’s custody had been set aside for a mosque project.
Adewunmi said the claim forced him to clarify the matter to Ogogo’s family during the seventh-day Fidau prayer held for the late actor.
“There was a rumour that the money with me was for the mosque project, which I had to clarify. On the seventh-day prayer for the deceased, I had a meeting with his family at 6pm. His daughter was even around at that time.”
Ogogo’s family was informed
The imam said Ogogo had personally documented the purpose of the money, providing an additional record of the transaction.
“He gave me the book where he recorded it, and I signed. So, I informed his brother, Ayinde, and his daughter, Rasheedat, too, that Ogogo transferred money to me for this project. After that, it died down until he died.”
Adewunmi said that, rather than retaining the money, he was willing to return it to the actor’s family so that they could determine how best to proceed with the building project.
“So, I explained, and I told them, ‘What should we do about it? If they want to go ahead with his grandfather’s house project, then his children are mature enough to take up the role and monitor it.’”
He said an agreement was eventually reached for the money to be transferred to Ogogo’s elder brother, Rilwan, who would then oversee the funds and determine the next steps with the actor’s children.
“I was ready to return it. So, we agreed that I transferred the money to Ogogo’s elder brother’s account, Brother Rilwan. So, I said one of his brothers, Ayinde, should meet me at the bank so I could send the money to their elder brother’s account.”
‘It is not for the mosque project’
Adewunmi maintained that the purpose of the N25 million was clear from the beginning and that Ogogo had intended to personally oversee the reconstruction of his grandfather’s house before his death.
“Mr Rilwan will now know what to do with the money with his children. It is not for the mosque project but for his grandfather’s house, which he wanted to execute personally,” he said.
The clarification puts to rest, at least from the imam’s account, speculation surrounding the large sum and underscores the personal trust between the late actor and the cleric.
Ogogo’s death in August 2026 at the age of 66 prompted an outpouring of grief across Nollywood and among admirers of Yoruba-language cinema. The veteran actor was widely recognised for his contributions to the Yoruba film industry and for the memorable roles he played throughout his career.