Samanja, ace actor and war veteran, is dead
Samanja Mazan Fama, the ace actor and war veteran — having fought in the Nigerian civil war under the late former military ruler Sani Abacha — has passed on.

Ali Nuhu, the Kannywood actor, announced Samanja’s demise via Instagram on Sunday.

He also prayed that the soul of the ace actor finds “forgiveness and goodness”.

“Nnalillahi Wainna Ilaihi Rajiun God bless my father and the famous hero Usman Baba Pategi better known as Samanja, passed away,” he wrote in Hausa language.

“We are praying to God to bless him and forgive him for his mistakes so that Paradise is his destiny. If we come, may God fill us with goodness and faith.”

Samanja, born Usman Baba Pategi, died on Sunday after a prolonged illness.

His funeral prayer would be held at a mosque in Kabala Costain, Kaduna.

Pategi was born on May 20, 1942, into the royal house of Pategi Emirate in Pategi, Northern Nigeria.

He worked with the public works department in the mechanical store before joining the Northern Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in Kaduna.

In the 60s, Samanja left the NBC and joined the Nigerian army during the country’s civil war.

He retired in 1985 and began his acting career at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in Kaduna.

He was best known for his role as sergeant-major in the popular eponymous Hausa-language comedy-drama series ‘Samanja,’ which aired on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in the 1980s and 1990s.

The drama series was a huge success and made Samanja a household name.

Samanja was also acknowledged for helping to popularise Kannywood, the Hausa-language film industry.

He is survived by two wives and 12 children.

By Pelumi Bolawa

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