On Wednesday 3, 2021, news of the shocking news of the demise of ace Nollywood actor, Sadiq Daba made evening headlines.

The 69-year-old thespian had reportedly succumbed to his prolonged battle with cancer. This came four years after he came public with his Prostrate cancer and Leukemia diagnosis.

Sadiq Daba began his acting career in the late 70s when he got his breakout role starring as Bitrus in the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) produced ‘Crock Crow At Dawn’. He also starred in ‘Behind The Cloud’ also produced by NTA.

Sadiq Daba on the set of ‘Cock Crow At Dawn’ [Instagram/@dabasadiq]

Interestingly, he was one of the earliest Northern actors to break into mainstream Nollywood and his success led many young Northerners to pursue a career in acting.

Many years after the successful TV show, Daba made a welcome comeback in Kunle Afolayan‘s 2014 thriller ‘October 1’ where he starred in a lead role as Danladi Waziri, a Northern police officer posted to a remote Yoruba village.

Sadiq Daba’s character poster for ‘October 1’ [Romance Meets Life]

Daba’s ability to breath life into the character and lead his audience into the film’s thick plot, earned him his first Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2015, barely a year after he returned to mainstream Nollywood.

Afolayan’s ‘October 1’ was in no doubt, a medium for the veteran actor, broadcaster to make an intergenerational move. It meant a rush of nostalgia for film lovers who grew up to Daba on the NTA-produced television show and an awakening for the younger generation who could not help but be wowed at his seemingly effortless acting.

Sadly, Daba announced the shocking news of his cancer diagnosis in 2017. The media and film industry alongside other well meaning Nigerians rallied around for funds to get the veteran actor to the United Kingdom where he got treatment for both diseases.

However, his health took a nosedive with reports from last year revealing he may have had a relapse. In an exclusive interview with The Nation, Daba revealed he had chronic obstructive venereal disease which affected his lungs and made mobility difficult.

Despite his ailing health, the actor starred in two top Nollywood productions between 2019 and 2020. He starred in the Kunle Afolayan directed Netflix original film ‘Citation’ which premiered on the streamer in 2020. The film was shot in 2019.

Daba also starred in the Paul Apel Papel directed war drama ‘Eagle Wings’ set to premiere in cinemas March 12, 2021 nearly a year after its rigorous filming in 2020.

Though gone, Sadiq Daba will not be forgotten in a hurry.