Following the death of veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, known as Ogogo, health educator Aproko Doctor cautioned and Nigerians about a common habit: treating recurring stomach pain as an ulcer without proper testing.
Hassan, 66, died on August 23, 2026, after a battle with stage-four cancer. His diagnosis became public only days before his death, a timeline that surprised many, since he had appeared in good health at the Ojude Oba festival just weeks earlier.
Writing on X on August 24, Aproko Doctor said the case was a reminder that outward appearance does not always reflect a person’s internal health. He explained that an ulcer does not turn into cancer, but that some stomach cancers produce symptoms closely resembling an ulcer’s, which can lead people to keep treating the wrong condition.
“Don’t spend months or years treating a diagnosis that was never properly confirmed,” he wrote, urging anyone with recurring symptoms to seek proper investigation rather than repeat the same medication.
He listed warning signs worth taking to a doctor: persistent stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, and feeling full unusually quickly. He was careful to add that these symptoms do not automatically mean cancer, and that most stomach pain has no serious cause. His point, he said, was that a diagnosis should be confirmed rather than assumed.
The thread drew wide engagement, with many users sharing their own experiences with stomach pain and asking the doctor for guidance. Aproko Doctor closed the thread with condolences to Hassan’s family.
Taiwo Hassan’s career in Yoruba-language theatre and film spanned more than four decades, and he was laid to rest in his hometown of Ilaro, Ogun State, on August 24, in accordance with Islamic rites.
He was survived by his wives and children, including daughters Kira Taiwo and Haleemah, the two who publicly confirmed his death and had earlier appealed for medical assistance during his illness.
