Nollywood actress Temitope Osoba’s final days have taken a dramatic turn following fresh revelations by her family about her emotional state, health struggles and troubled relationship with her fiancé, Prophet Itunu Onadeko, shortly before her death.
The Osoba family, in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by Damilola Osoba, said the actress had been battling emotional distress, health challenges and relationship problems before she died on August 4, 2026.
The family attributed part of her distress to the death of her biological mother and the emotional toll of her battle with breast cancer, which she had previously described publicly.
Osoba had announced her return to acting in August 2025 after undergoing treatment for breast cancer, describing the experience as a major turning point in her life. She later said she had undergone surgery and further treatment after doctors detected the disease.
But behind the public image of a cancer survivor making a comeback, the family said the actress was going through another difficult chapter.
According to the statement, she had been suffering what the family described as a “long spell of emotional distress”, including unmanaged worries, depression and self-medication.
FIANCÉ AT CENTRE OF LAST-MINUTE DRAMA
The family’s account has also placed Osoba’s fiancé at the centre of growing questions surrounding her final days.
Osoba had reportedly lived with the man for about two years, but the relationship had become a source of concern for the actress, according to her family.
After reconnecting with her paternal aunt, Reverend Mother Kehinde Osoba Eritosin, in May 2025, the actress allegedly began confiding in her about her personal problems and repeatedly sought her intervention in her relationship.
The family said the situation became more serious on Friday, July 31, when Osoba made what it described as a frantic call to the reverend mother, seeking help over her worsening health and relationship with her fiancé.
Two days later, while receiving medical treatment and drips, she reportedly contacted Reverend Mother Osoba again and asked her to speak with the man.
She subsequently sent the fiancé’s telephone number to her aunt.
According to the family, Reverend Mother Osoba contacted him and asked him to meet her urgently over the actress’ condition.
The response, the family claimed, was that he would meet her on Tuesday.
That meeting never happened.
Tuesday was the day Osoba died.
The revelation has inevitably raised questions about what was happening in the relationship and why the actress was seeking outside intervention shortly before her death.
However, the family statement does not accuse the fiancé of causing Osoba’s death or of committing any crime. Its account only places him at the centre of the actress’ reported relationship difficulties and the frantic attempts by her family to intervene.
DISTURBING MESSAGES, DEATH REFERENCES
The family said Reverend Mother Osoba had also received disturbing messages and voice notes concerning the actress’ deteriorating condition and references to death.
She consequently invited the fiancé to an urgent meeting.
The meeting was expected to take place before Osoba’s death, but according to the family, the fiancé did not attend.
The family said Reverend Mother Osoba had become particularly close to Osoba after adopting her as a daughter following consultations with members of the family.
She introduced the actress to her children, added her to the family’s WhatsApp group and even sent her Aso Ebi for a family event in Victoria Island, Lagos, about five weeks before her death.
THE LAST DAY: SCREAMING IN TRAFFIC
The most dramatic account came on Tuesday, August 4 — the day Osoba died.
According to the family, a female friend and hairdresser called Reverend Mother Osoba that morning and reported that the actress had been unable to sleep throughout the night.
She was allegedly behaving strangely and making disturbing comments about death.
The reverend mother reportedly instructed that Osoba be brought to her church in Ikorodu for medical and spiritual intervention.
But she was attending an eight-day service of songs for the late Baba Aladura Alogbo, Supreme Head of the C&S Unification Church, in Abule Egba, Lagos.
While there, she reportedly received a call from the Divisional Police Officer of Igbogbo Police Station.
The DPO allegedly informed her that Osoba had been taken into police custody after causing a disturbance around Ita Elewa, Ikorodu.
According to the family, police said the actress had behaved strangely in traffic, got out of a vehicle and started screaming.
Reverend Mother Osoba reportedly confirmed that the actress was her daughter and promised to come to the station.
But because traffic delayed her journey from Abule Egba, she allegedly asked that Osoba be released and taken to her church in Ikorodu.
ANOTHER TWIST — SAGAMU JOURNEY
The family said Osoba was eventually released to her friend and two maternal sisters who had arrived from Sagamu.
But instead of waiting for Reverend Mother Osoba to arrive, the group allegedly took the actress to another spiritual centre in Ikorodu.
There, she was reportedly prayed for and given water and drinks.
Her maternal relatives subsequently decided to take her to Sagamu.
The family said Reverend Mother Osoba repeatedly tried to contact Osoba and her friend while returning from Abule Egba, but neither telephone was answered.
The maternal relatives reportedly said Osoba had agreed to travel with them to Sagamu.
But trouble allegedly started inside the vehicle.
The family said the actress developed strange body reactions and suffered a relapse after drinking cold water.
She was reportedly stretching and knocking against her cousins inside the moving vehicle.
Her relatives then rushed her to a private hospital in Sagamu.
The doctor, according to the family, referred her to Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, for further treatment.
But before she could receive treatment, the actress reportedly died inside the vehicle.
CANCER SURVIVOR’S TRAGIC END
Osoba’s death has come less than a year after she publicly celebrated surviving breast cancer and announced her return to the entertainment industry.
In August 2025, she emotionally announced her comeback, saying her cancer experience had changed her and made her more determined to rebuild her career.
She had earlier revealed that she discovered a lump in her breast and was initially told it was likely linked to hormonal changes. Further tests eventually confirmed cancer.
She underwent surgery and later another procedure after doctors detected remaining cancerous tissue. She also revealed that she had been warned that her cancer medication could affect her ability to conceive for several years — an experience she described as devastating.
By December 2025, she was publicly celebrating her 40th birthday as a cancer survivor, describing survival as a victory and a second chance at life.
FAMILY: DON’T SENSATIONALISE HER DEATH
The Osoba family has now appealed to the public to allow them mourn the actress peacefully.
The family said the clarification was released to provide context and prevent what it described as unnecessary sensationalism surrounding her death.
It urged sympathisers, fans and members of the public to remain calm while preparations are made for her burial and memorial service.
The family also expressed appreciation to Osoba’s friends, colleagues, associates and fans for their support.
A memorial service, it said, would be announced after consultations.
For now, the circumstances surrounding Osoba’s final hours — particularly her reported emotional distress, troubled relationship and the frantic attempts to get her help — have left her fans and the wider Nollywood community searching for answers.
But one thing remains clear from the family’s account: the actress was in serious distress in the days before her death, and several attempts were made to intervene before tragedy struck.
