Nollywood actress, Rachael Oniga, passed away yesterday, July 30, at the age of 64. According to the son, the deceased actress died of malaria and typhoid contrary to the Covid-19 rumours.
Here are some of the things to remember about the veteran actress.
Birth
The actress, Rachael Tabuno Oniga, was born on May 23, 1957 in Ebute Metta, Lagos State. She hailed from Eku, a community in Ethiope East Local government area of Delta State. She is best known as Doctor Love in 2013.
Her Early life
Oniga had her primary school in Abule-Oja, Lagos State, but secondary school took her out of Lagos to Edo State. The reason for her transfer, according to her, was that she was always found in one fight or trouble as she was a tomboy in those days. Her father thought a transfer would calm her down and probably reform her. She went ahead to study Computer Programming in a higher institution and after graduation, worked at Asoline Nigeria Limited, a Dutch consultant company.
Her Personal life
She became a grandmother to a baby girl on September 5, 2014. Her daughter, Georgia Oniga, birthed the baby girl.
Oniga during her life was not a party goer. In one of her interviews, she explained why she is not often seen at events or parties organised by her colleagues. According to her, she believes one becomes more vulnerable to chaos when you become too comfortable with people she works with.
Her Divorce
Oniga has made several interviews where she talked about her failed marriage and how she regretted not fighting for her marriage. Her ex-husband is late and when asked, she said she doesn’t consider herself as a widow since they separated a long time ago. The actress stopped working when she got married, but she returned to the industry in 1993 after she separated from her husband.
Career
The name, Rachael Oniga, will always be remembered in the Nollywood industry, especially in the Yoruba scenery. She was a veteran actress who was best known as the non-Yoruba actress who perfected her roles brilliantly. She made her debut with the movie “Onome”.
Her first major appearance on Soap Operas was in “Memorial Hospital” where she played the role of a patient. Her recent movies include ‘Chief Daddy’, ’30 days in Atlanta’, ‘The Royal Hibiscus Hotel’, ‘My Wife and I’ and her most recent movie, “My Village People” which was posted on her Instagram page in June.
