Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has expressed gratitude to her fans for the overwhelming love and support she received on her 49th birthday on Monday, despite facing criticism for celebrating on the same day the industry was mourning the death of veteran actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo.

In a post shared on her social media pages on Tuesday evening, Akindele thanked everyone for their prayers, messages, calls, and love, saying she felt it all and truly appreciated them.

She prayed that her fans would always have beautiful reasons to celebrate.

She wrote:
“I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for every prayer, every message, every call and all the love you showed me. I felt it all, and I truly appreciate you. God bless you, and may you always have beautiful reasons to celebrate. Thank you so much for making my birthday even more special.”

The Nigerian Voice recalls that ‘Ogogo’, who was battling stage-four cancer, passed away on Sunday at 3:00 pm at the age of 66, according to a statement issued by his colleague, Jide Kosoko.

He was buried on Monday in his hometown of Ilaro, Ogun State, following Islamic rites.