Veteran Nollywood Actor, Usman Pategi, popularly known as “Samanja, has passed on, aged 81.
A theatre consultant, Husseini Shaibu, announced Samanja’s passing on Sunday via his Facebook page on Sunday.
The cause of his death is yet unknown.
Shaibu said, “I have been reliably informed that light has dimmed on the veteran actor, Usman Baba Pategi, popularly known as Samanja Mazan Fama.
“The actor who rode to national prominence in the 80’s playing Samanja in the defunct NTA drama series (about the life of Soldiers in the barracks), titled ‘Samanja’, reportedly passed on around midnight on Sunday.
“The last time I saw Samanja was in Lagos in 2019 when he was awarded the Fellowship of Theatre Arts (fta) by the Israel Eboh-led National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners.
READ ALSO: http://IMO VOTES: INEC denies withdrawing IReV passwords
“Journey Well Sir…. Good Night Samanja!,” he said.
Some actors also took to the comment section of the post to pay their tribute to the deceased.
Okey Ogunjiofor said, “The Legends who made our early days sweet are departing gradually. May his soul rest in peace”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Pategi was born on May 20, 1942, into the royal house of Pategi Emirate in Pategi, Northern Nigeria.
He is the son of Etsu Usman Patako, the late King of Pategi.
The popular actor, writer and director starred in the populous Hausa film known as Samanja, Yusuf’s Ladan’s Zaman, Duniya Iyawa Ne and all.
Pategi gained popularity in the movie Samanja in the likes of mixing Hausa/English and pidgin English.
