Popular comedian and veteran Nollywood actor, Babatunde Omidina who was widely known in the Yoruba Nollywood movie industry as Baba Suwe, has been buried on Thursday. He was aged 63.

He was buried on Thursday 25th November 2021, at his residence, Ewu Elepe, Ikorodu, Lagos

The death of Mr Babatunde Omidina was reported to have been announced by his son, Adesola Omidina on Tuesday. He reportedly said his father Mr Babatunde Omidina, died on Monday 22nd, November 2021.

Adesola Omidina was quoted to have said: “This is to announce the sudden death of my father, Babatunde Omidina, the legend and rare gem, Baba Suwe on Monday. Details and other arrangements will be announced shortly.”

Baba Suwe became popular for his comical roles in Nollywood films and had a huge following by fans of the Yoruba Nollywood movie industry.

Omidina’s popularity began after he featured in Iru Esin, produced by Olaiya Igwe in 1997. Other movies he starred in include Arewa Okunrin, Owo laso oge, Obáj’obalo, Àkóbí gómìnà, Ojabo Kofo, Teni Teni, etc.

He suffered poor health in 2018, making several Nigerians including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to donate funds for his medical treatment abroad.

Babatunde Omidina And The Nigerian Law:

While Baba Suwe was widely known for his roles in movies, he also had a rough time with law enforcement agency in 2011, as he was arrested for possession of substances suspected to be cocaine by the officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Baba Suwe was picked up at the International wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, by the NDLEA officials, while boarding an Air France flight to Paris, France.

Baba Suwe was on his way to Paris to act as a master of ceremony in a naming ceremony of an Air France staff, where he was arrested.

The scanning machine at the airport detected a suspected substance hidden in Baba Suwe’s stomach, but the suspect was alleged to have denied that such a drug was on his person.

A second scanning proved that he was carrying the said suspected substance and this led to his immediate arrest. He held at the NDLEA office at the airport until he excreted the drugs.

He later sued NDLEA for abuse of his fundamental human rights, after they detained him beyond the constitutional provision of 24 hours without formerly arraigning him before a court over alleged complicity in the ingestion of hard drugs.

Justice Idowu, had on November 24, 2011 ordered NDLEA to pay the N25million judgment fee awarded against it to Omidina within 21 days from the day the judgement was delivered.

But Babatunde Omidina revealed then that the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency has refused to pay him a compensation fee of N25 million ordered by a Lagos High Court after his unlawful arrest and detention over allegations of drugs trafficking.

The veteran actor whose career took a nosedive afterwards, added that he is not interested in pursuing further case against the agency.

He laments that during his trying time, people did not call him for movies.

He said his case with the NDLEA would have been seen to its logical conclusion if not for the untimely death of his lawyer, Bamidele Aturu.

According to him,“The NDLEA did not give me any money like the court ruled, and I have forgotten about it. I’m not interested in pursuing any case against them again, as I don’t have money to hire another lawyer.

”Mr. Bamidele Aturu who was pursuing the case for me is dead. He really wanted us to see the case to a logical conclusion because I’m not a cocaine pusher. I was really embarrassed and that incident affected my career and health. During the time, people did not call me for movies. However, I just finished working on my own movie,” he laments

The allegation was later ruled as false and defamatory by a Lagos High Court.