Filmmaker and actor Kunle Afod has confirmed that veteran Nollywood actor Chief Lere Paimo, popularly known as Baba Eda Onile Ola, is alive, dismissing false reports of his death circulating online.

Afod, who shares a long-standing bond with Paimo, revealed that Baba Eda is in good health and doing well.

Addressing the rumours on social media, Afod wrote: “Baba is alive. The news of his death by some people and bloggers is fake. For reasons I can’t explain, they spread such stories. But I can confirm Baba is alive.”

Last year, Afod surprised the legendary actor by renovating his house in Ogbomosho, his hometown.

“Me and my team came together to transform Pa Lere Paimo’s house from an old-school setting to a modern set,” Afod wrote on Instagram.

A video of the renovation process captured the team scrubbing tiles, painting walls, and furnishing the home with brand-new chairs, giving it a fresh, elegant look. The clip also showed Paimo’s emotional reaction as he walked into his revamped home, visibly surprised and moved by the transformation.

Meanwhile, the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP) also reiterated that Paimo is alive. In a statement signed by its National PRO, Prince Adejonwo Oluwafemi Femson, the association said:

“Baba Eda, Chief Lere Paimo MFR is NOT Dead. He is alive and well. Disregard all rumours.”

“Reports circulating on Facebook about the passing of Chief Olalere OsunPaimo (MFR) are FALSE. We have confirmed with Baba Eda Onile Ola’s wife that he is alive and in good health.”