“So when I returned to Nigeria, at the airport, they said, ‘Sola Sobowale is dead now,’ and I asked, ‘Do they believe in voodoo?” she added.
The mother of two whose parents were in academia, recalled rumours that she was a cleaner in the UK.
She added that there were also rumours about her working at a restaurant in the UK.
“When I was in the UK, doing my thing, Nigerian newspapers published articles titled ‘From grace to grass’ claiming that Sola Sobowale now resides in the UK and sells food at a restaurant called Emuke. My older sister owns the restaurant.
“The restaurant is owned by Kike Oyelana and Uncle Tunji Oyelana. Whenever I have time off from work, I visit the restaurant to see my sister. I occasionally prepare Eba and other dishes to assist my sister and serve the customers. They saw me and wrote, ‘Sola Sobowale now sells eba in the restaurant,’ it went on like that.”
The actress stated that before she left Nigeria for the UK, she owned a restaurant named ‘Sola’s Kitchen’.
She said, “If I go to the UK and sell eba, I’ll make my money. If I wash the dishes, it’s no problem. I’m earning. The only thing that bothers me is that they accused me of carrying cocaine in Saudi Arabia.”
Sobowale enjoyed a prolific acting career spanning over four decades. Initially drawn to the vibrant entertainment scene in Ibadan, Nigeria, she began her journey as a secretary in training at Sight and Sound before transitioning to the University of Ibadan’s Department of Music, thanks to Tunji Oyelana’s encouragement.
However, her passion for theatre ultimately led her to pursue theatre arts.