Chief Adedeji Aderemi, aka Olofa Ina, a veteran Nollywood actor of the Yoruba genre of the Nigerian movie industry, has died at the age of 73.
Another popular actor, Mr Saidi Balogun, confirmed the passing of Olofa Ina in a post shared on his Instagram account on Thursday.
Balogun wrote: “Goodnight legend Chief Deji Akinremi (Olofa Ina) RIP.”
The late Olofa Ina who, until his death, was the Sobaloju of Edeland, was a renowned name in contemporary Yoruba theatre and film circle.
He was also famous for the rich Yoruba proverbs and idioms that characterised his lines in various films and stage plays.
He was born into the family of the late Chief AbdulSalam Aderemi and the late Madam Aisha Aderemi of Jagun-Olukosi Compound, Ede, Osun State on 15 May, 1950.
The late veteran actor was born during the reign of the then Timi of Edeland, the late Oba John Adetoyese Laoye.
He had his primary education at St. Peters Anglican Primary School between 1957 and 1962 and then proceeded to Baptist Secondary Modern School, Ode-Omu from 1963 to 1965.
The deceased later had a vocational training in carpentry and joinery at Olukorede Furniture Industry between 1965 and 1970.
The late Chief Adedeji Aderemi received his training as a theatre practitioner under tutelage of the late Oyetunji.
Prior to 1980, he had earlier floated the Olofa Ina Theatre Group in 1972 with the likes of Erinfolami, Dasofunjo, Gbolagade Akinpelu and the late Oyetunji of Esinnla Compound, Ede.
The Olofa Ina Group recorded landmark achievements in the theatre industry by pioneering the staging of epical histories of the Yoruba warlords of the 18th and 19th centuries.
These included Basorun Ogunmola, Balogun Ibikunle, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro of Ilesha, Aare Kurunmi of Ijaye, Kakanfo Afonja and a host of others.
These productions were recorded by Nigerian Television (NTV) Ibadan in the 70s and were narrated by the late Dr. Solomon Oyewole Babayemi, then of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan who later became the Olufi of Gbongan, Osun State.
The late Olofa Ina also recorded series of television productions, among which were Odetedo, Lakaaye, Kogun Maja, and Ade Oba.
