Olu Jacobs buried in Lagos after funeral service

Veteran Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs was buried in Lagos on Friday, October 2, after a funeral service in the Lekki area, according to reports. Relatives, colleagues, friends and public figures attended the ceremony, which concluded several days of events in his memory. The service was held at the Freedom Centre in Lekki, with Jacobs’ widow, actress Joke Silva, and their sons among those present. Attendees included Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Lagos State First Lady Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and former Ekiti State First Lady Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi. Reports also named actors including Kate Henshaw, Ireti Doyle, Shaffy Bello, Stan Nze and Ernest Obi. Singer Dare Art Alade performed at the service, according to one account. The funeral followed a Night of Tributes and Service of Songs held in Lagos. At that earlier gathering, Jacobs’ sons, Olusoji and Olugbenga, spoke about their father’s closeness to the family and his efforts to protect their privacy, according to one report. Actors also remembered his professional influence: Sola Sobowale described him as a mentor, while Richard Mofe-Damijo called him a father figure to many performers.