Temitope Osoba: Toyosi Adesanya Accuses Colleagues of Refusing Burial Support Over TAMPAN Membership

Nollywood actress Toyosi Adesanya has accused some entertainment industry colleagues of refusing to support the burial of late actress Temitope Osoba because they questioned whether she was a member of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN).

Adesanya made the allegation during a candlelight procession and artistes’ night held in Osoba’s honour in Ikeja, Lagos State. She represented TAMPAN President Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Mr Latin, at the event.

The actress, who serves as TAMPAN’s National Director of Social and Welfare, appealed to entertainers to support one another during their lifetime and after death. She criticised what she described as hypocrisy, rivalry and “eye service” within the industry.

Adesanya said she had approached the TAMPAN leadership about raising funds for Osoba’s burial but alleged that some colleagues opposed the idea because the late actress was supposedly not a member of the association.

She disputed that position, saying she had confirmed that Osoba was a member of TAMPAN’s Eti-Osa chapter. Adesanya also alleged that similar disagreements had followed the death of another actor, Murphy Afolabi.

Osoba’s death came less than a year after she publicly discussed her battle with breast cancer and appealed for financial assistance for treatment. In August 2025, she announced that she had returned to acting after undergoing surgery and other treatment and said she had been declared cancer-free.

Her death later prompted an outpouring of reactions from colleagues and fans, alongside questions about the level of support available to her during her illness. Adesanya used the candlelight event to urge entertainers to show greater care for their colleagues before tragedy strikes.

“I have a message for you all, let’s celebrate ourselves while we are alive,” she said, urging practitioners not to judge one another and to focus on supporting each other.

Adesanya also questioned the contrast between the large turnout at Osoba’s candlelight procession and what she described as inadequate support for the actress while she was alive. She called for greater unity within Nollywood, arguing that genuine concern should not begin only after a colleague has died.