What You Need To Know About Veteran Actor Tunbosun Odunsi At 78

Western Nigeria Television, WNTV, he was INSPECTOR ADEGBOYE.

He became both PAADI MINKAILU & OBA ABIODUN ADEGOOLU 

(BASORUN GAA) on NTV IBADAN. And later transformed to BABA 

AMOYE on OGTV. This septuagenarian actor belongs to the set on the 

heels of the pioneering fathers of theatre in Nigeria - the likes of Dr 

Hubert Ogunde, Oyin Adejobi, Duro Ladipo, Moses Adejumo Olaiya & 

Kola Ogunmola. 

He was just a young boy, when LAYENI SYNCO 

ORCHESTRA went to perform QUEEN SHEBA MEETS KING SOLOMON 

at Jehova African Church, Yaba, the church he used to attend with his 

parents. The group had a role for a young boy in its production, and 

young Tunbosun was chosen for that role. All he needed to do was to 

present the gift brought by Queen Sheba to King Solomon. And that was 

how acting started for him as a pupil of Surulere Baptist School, Yaba in 

1955.

 After spending three years in Modern School, he proceeded to 

Cosmopolitan College, Moloney. He was already in his twenties when he 

finished High School and joined a thread manufacturing company at 

Apapa. And not long after, he joined the OGUNDE CONCERT PARTY. 

 He spent eight years working with Ogunde group. They had just returned from a performance in Abidjan, 

Ivory Coast, when 22 of them decided to leave Ogunde on the same day. 

Why, you'd wonder; according to the veteran actor, "Ogunde was nice and 

understanding but one of his wives was really making life difficult for us. 

So, like minds among the 22 went ahead to form a  new group called 

ARABA CONCERT PARTY. And we made Ayo Adekanmbi our leader. Chief 

Adebayo Faleti, who was the leader of AGBARERE DRAMA GROUP based 

in Oyo got to hear about our group and the talents paraded in it quickly 

sought a partnership between the two groups. And the two were merged 

to become ALEBIOSU THEATRE led by Faleti himself. Alebiosu Theatre, 

aside practising travelling theatre also started the first Yoruba television 

detective series called INSPECTOR ADEGBOYE on WNTV. And I played 

Inspector Adegboye, the lead role in the weekly series while it lasted. 

It was also the Alebiosu Theatre that performed IDAAMU PAADI MINKAILU 

(DILEMMA OF REVEREND FATHER MICHAEL). Not long after, we produced 

BASORUN GAA, where I played Oba Abiodun Adegoolu. And S'AWO 

S'EGBERE followed suit. The late Dr. Larinde Akinleye played the fake doctor 

in S'awo S'egbere while I played Inspector Adegboye who prosecuted (him) 

the charlatan". In the late '80s, Tunbosun Odunsi succumbed to pressure by 

his fans and admirers to form his own group which he called BOSUN 

THEATRE GROUP. And it soon started a weekly drama called BABA AMOYE 

on OGTV. Till date, he has shot three films namely EJO NGBORO, AYORUNBO 

& OGUN ABELE aside featuring in so many other celluloid films produced by

Dr Hubert Ogunde, Moses Olaiya, Ade Love & others. Many actors have 

also trained under him - the likes of Dele Odule, Toyin Adegbola, Muyiwa 

Adegoke (Londoner) & Muda Ayobami (Bobo B)

As regards the day he'd never forget as an actor - it came up not too long 

ago. "I sought the financial support of Oyo State Government to enable me

travel for an "Awards" organised in the US. I wrote an official letter & followed

up, & was told it had been approved. However, three days to go, the Seyi

Makinde - led Government decided to cancel the N500,000 that had already 

been approved. I then received a phone call advising me to write another 

letter to the Governor. I was devastated and downcast. Thank GOD for

Mc Oluomo who heard about the treatment metted out to me by the Oyo 

State Government and sent me a return ticket to the United States of America. 

To God be the glory, I travelled to the US & came back with the award.

PA TUNBOSUN ODUNSI

CLOCKED 78 RECENTLY 

HERE'S WISHING HIM MANY

MORE FULFILLING YEARS 

IN PROSPERITY, GOOD HEALTH 

AND PEACE OF MIND 

H a P p Y  B i R t H D a Y 

CONGRATULATIONS