Firstborn of theatre icon Hubert Ogunde, George, is dead

George Ogunde, the first child of the late theatre icon Hubert Ogunde, has passed away.

His sister, Dayo Ogunde, shared the sad news in a Facebook post on Thursday.

“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.

“You were such a wonderful and friendly soul. May your soul continue to rest in the bosom of your maker.

“Goodnight George Ogunde.

“Omo Gbegande Esiwu Ijoku,” Dayo Ogunde wrote.

George Ogunde, like his late iconic father, was also a theatre practitioner and had his own troupe.

Last year, the deceased was captured in an emotionally overwhelmed state as he marked his birthday.

His younger brother, Owobo Ogunde, acted in the role of Bashorun in Kunle Afolayan’s Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre.

One of Hubert Ogunde’s daughters, Afolabi Ogunde-Kikiowo, died in September 2019.

The legend, Hubert Ogunde, was a prominent Nigerian actor, playwright, theatre manager, and musician. He was born in 1916 and passed away in 1990.

Ogunde is often regarded as the father of Nigerian theatre and played a crucial role in the development of contemporary theatre in Nigeria.

In a 2022 interview, one of the late Pa Ogunde’s sons, Mr Oluwemimo Ogunde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Attorney General of Ogun State, went down memory lane to discuss the life and times of his dad.

PUNCH Online reports that the family has not yet released an official statement regarding the cause of death, location, burial arrangements, and other details.