George Ogunde, the firstborn child of renowned Nigerian theatre icon Hubert Ogunde, has died, his sister Dayo Ogunde announced on Facebook.
“It’s hard to say goodbye Brother mi, our first child in the Ogunde clan. But we take solace in the fact that you are in a better place,” Dayo wrote in her emotional tribute on Thursday.
She described George as a “wonderful and friendly soul” whose passing has left the family grieving.
Like his late father, George was also a theatre practitioner who had his own performing troupe. Last year, he was captured appearing emotionally overwhelmed as he celebrated his birthday.
George’s younger brother, Owobo Ogunde, recently acted in the role of Bashorun in filmmaker Kunle Afolayan’s production “Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre.”
The Ogunde family has not yet released an official statement regarding the cause of George’s death, location, or burial arrangements.
Hubert Ogunde, who was born in 1916 and passed away in 1990, is widely regarded as the father of Nigerian theatre. He played a pivotal role in the development of contemporary theatre in the country.
In a 2022 interview, one of Hubert’s sons, Mr. Oluwemimo Ogunde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Attorney General of Ogun State, reminisced about his father’s life and legacy.
The loss of George Ogunde, the firstborn of the Ogunde theatrical dynasty, is a somber moment for the Nigerian arts community, which has long celebrated the immense contributions of the Ogunde family to the country’s cultural landscape.
