President Bola Tinubu has mourned Usman Baba Pategi, the ace actor and war veteran better known as Samanja Mazan Fama, who recently passed on.
The actor died on Sunday at the age of 84 after a prolonged illness.
In a statement, the president said Samanja chose to serve his country when it needed him.
Tinubu commended the movie star for “teaching young people about national values and respect for the military”.
He also described the deceased as a “patriot who left behind a lasting legacy”.
“The late Pategi chose to obey the call to national duty when the country needed his service,” the statement reads.
“His television show, Samanja, was must-watch entertainment for decades. Through the show, he taught young citizens national values and respect for our service people.
“He was a patriot who left behind several indelible impressions.”
Samanja began his career as a broadcaster.
He worked at the Northern Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in Kaduna before joining the Nigerian army during the civil war.
He retired from the army in 1985 and went on to star in the popular TV series ‘Samanja’, which made him a household name.
He also helped popularise the Hausa-language film industry, Kannywood.
He is survived by two wives and 12 children.
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