(22 August 1958 – 22 November 2021)
Anyone who says he or she is shocked by the passing of the famous Nigerian comic actor, Babatunde Omidina, popularly known as "Baba Suwe" is ignorant of the circumstances surrounding his demise. The fact is Baba Suwe never recovered from the illness and trauma caused by his torture when he was arrested and detained by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 2011. The NDLEA accused him of being in possession of substances suspected to be cocaine. Baba Suwe told The Punch newspaper that he was crippled after he was tortured by the NDLEA.
“I have not forgotten about my issue with the NDLEA and I will never forget because I am still bearing the pains and suffering from that encounter. I am still affected by the inflictions they meted on me at that time.
“As I speak with you, I cannot walk with both my legs. Just to visit the toilet in my room, I have to be carried there. Even using the toilet is a problem as well.
https://punchng.com/how-i-became-crippled-after-my-ndlea-encounter/
It is unfortunate that the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and the Theatre and Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) failed to take up the case of maltreatment of Baba Suwe by the NDLEA. They failed him when he needed them most. Before he passed on, Baba Suwe appreciated how Yomi Fabiyi stood by him .
“The only time you cannot know true friends, especially in our industry, is when you party or have buffet; when they have nothing to lose or suffer no discomfort. If you fall terribly sick or run into any problem, that you need moral support, that is when you will know you amount to nothing to them."
- Yomi Fabiyi
