RACHEL ONIGA: 6 Things You Should Know About The Late Nollywood Legend

The death of Rachel Oniga has hit the country and the movie industry with great shock. The news of her death broke early Saturday morning (31 July 2021). Rachel Tabuno Oniga was known as a fierce and passionate actress during her time. She was a very familiar act in many Nollywood Yoruba and English movies. Here are six things you should know about her.

1. Her Early Life

She was born on 23 May 1957 in Ebute Metta, Lagos. However, she hailed from Eku, Delta State. Her childhood dream was to become a singer and dancer. She attended Princess Girls School in Abule Oja, Yaba, Lagos. It was at this primary school she took drama classes and started acting. She loved acting as a boy (as it was a girls-only school) and used costumes belonging to her brother.

2. Her Professional Life

Rachel Oniga was a tech sis. She was once a computer programmer and worked for a Dutch engineering consulting firm. She stopped working when she got married. She delved into the profession acting scene after her marriage collapsed.

3. Her acting career

She landed her first role on a referral by Lai Ashade of the Village Headmaster who she met while watching the shooting of the Village Headmaster. Her acting career majorly started in 1993 when she acted in the movie “Onome”. This was shortly after her separation from her husband. Her first Yoruba movie was “Owo Blow” back in 1997, where she put up a stunning performance.

4. Her Family

Rachel Oniga was a grandmother and single mother of three – two girls and a boy. She is a grandmother. She divorced her ex-husband after he got with another woman. While she said she regretted not fighting for her marriage, it made her determined to be successful without a man. “I would dedicate my life entirely to my children”, she said in an interview with the Punch Newspaper in 2017.

5. Her filmography

Rachel Oniga was a versatile actor with many movie roles to her name. Some of her most famous movies were Owo Blow (1997), Sango (1997), Out of Bounds (1997), 30 Days in Atlanta (2014), The Royal Hibiscus Hotel (2017), The Wedding Party (2018). The last major movie she featured in was “My Village People”, a comedy flick by popular comedian Bovi Ugboma. It premiered on 11 June 2021.

6. Her Death

Rachel Oniga passed away in a Lagos hospital around 10 pm on Friday, 30 July 2021, after a short battle with a heart-related illness, as confirmed in an official statement by her family. 

With many awards to her name and a scandal-free career that lasted nearly three decades, Rachel Tabuno Oniga will be sorely missed. May her soul rest in perfect peace.