Nollywood actress Rachel Oniga laid to rest colorfully; see 5 facts about her

Nollywood veteran actress Rachel Oniga has been laid to rest in Lagos in a colourful ceremony; here are five facts about her.

The actress, born on 25 May 1957, died on Friday, 30 July, aged 64, after a brief illness.

The final lying-in-state of the actress, preceding the internment, was held on Friday at the Catholic Church of Resurrection in Magodo in a colourful ceremony.

She originally hails from Eku, Delta State, and got married to a Yoruba man. Her marriage collapsed after she claimed another woman bewitched her husband.

She and her ex-husband had three children together. In an interview with The PUNCH in 2017, Rachel Oniga stated that she didn’t remarry because she wanted to prove to her ex-husband that she could ‘survive without a man.’

She said, “I participated in his burial with all I had. I spent my money, energy and I even invited artists.

“I gave him a befitting burial. I did all that because of my children, especially my son. Later in life, people may ask him how they buried his father.

“He had to bury his father well and that was exactly what I did for him. I played the part my son would have played if he was an adult. That is my joy. Sometimes, I do things and people wonder what is wrong with me, but I always have my reasons.” 

Over the years, Oniga has featured in various notable Nigerian films such as “Sango”, a movie scripted by Wale Ogunyemi, produced and directed by Obafemi Lasode and Wale Adenuga’s television series “Super Story”. She was also in recent films like “Royal Hibiscus Hotel” (2017) and “Chief Daddy” (2018).

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5 facts about Rachel Oniga

1. Rachel Oniga was born on 23 May 1957 in Ebute Metta, Lagos, Nigeria, and she passed away at 64 in July 2021.

2. The actress is originally from Eku in Delta State, but her marriage to a Yoruba man made her adopt the tribe, and many think she is an indigene of the Western Nigerian tribe.

3. Before she went into acting, Oniga worked briefly at Ascoline Nigeria Limited, a Dutch Consultant Company.

4. She only began her acting career in 1993, shortly after her divorce. However, despite splitting from her husband, she decided not to remarry and paid for his burial ceremony when he died.

5. Rachel Oniga’s first movie is titled “Onome”, but her debut Yoruba movie was “Owo Blow,” a classic production featuring Tade Ogidan as director and co-stars: Adebayo Salami, Lanre Hassan, Sam Loco Efe, Kayode Odumosu, Adewale Elesho, and others.

She became a household name among Nollywood enthusiasts in the late 1990s and 2000s. May her soul Rest In Peace.

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