I Almost Quit Acting Over Rumors I Killed My Mentor, Says Adebayo Salami

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.”