The Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP) disclosed on Saturday that Veteran filmmaker, Lere Paimo, popularly known as Eda Onile Ola, is alive and not dead.
“We would like to inform the public that reports circulating on Facebook about the passing of Chief Olalere OsunPaimo (MFR) are FALSE,” a statement by the ANTP national spokesperson, Prince Adejonwo Oluwafemi Femson
Femson added that the association “confirmed with Baba Eda Onile Ola’s wife that he is alive and in good health.”
In the early hours of Saturday, rumours about the death of Lere Paimo spread on social media, which many comments from fans and movie lovers.
The ANTP has however urged the public to “please disregard these false reports and be aware that they are being spread by unscrupulous individuals”, adding that Chief Olalere OsunPaimo (MFR), Chairman Board of Trustee Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP) , is alive and well.”
It further urged Nigerians to verify information before sharing to avoid spreading misinformation.
Lere Paimo was born in September 1939 in Oyo State, Nigeria. He is an actor, known for movies such as The Narrow Path (2006), Moremi Ajasoro (2009) and Agogo èèwò (2002).
Lere Paimo is an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).
His father was the head of the neighborhood farmers’ association and a tobacco and yam farmer. His mom worked in trading. Lere was enrolled in Ogbomoso’s primary school before departing for the Gold Coast (now Ghana). At a teacher training college on the Gold Coast, he continued his education. When he got back to Nigeria, he went to Osogbo and started working as a teacher at Newton Memorial School, a Baptist missionary school.
In 2005, former President Olusegun Obasanjo presented him with a national award of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) in honor of his enormous contributions to the Nigerian film industry.
