Veteran Kannywood actress Wasila Isma’il has died at 46 in a prolonged illness.
Her ex-husband, Al-Amin Chiroma, confirmed the news in a social media post on Sunday.
He said she passed at the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria Hospital in Kaduna, and is survived by her children.
Isma’il was one of the most recognisable faces in the Hausa film industry.
She started her acting career in 1998 with “Jinin Masoya” but broke through a year later with the film “Wasila” directed by Yakubu Lere and starring alongside Ali Nuhu. The role turned her into a household name across Northern Nigeria.
Born in Kaduna, she once said the movie was originally titled “Jamila” but she asked for it to be changed.
“I didn’t like the name Jamila because I feared it might tarnish my name, so I asked for it to be changed, and the director agreed,” she recalled in an interview.
News of her death has drawn tributes from fans and colleagues on social media, who remembered her as a talented actress whose work helped shape Kannywood over more than two decades.
