The late Murphy Afolabi brought a zest to his roles in Yoruba movies that left a lasting impression on viewers. Whether as a chaotic Nigerian policeman or randy lover boy, he always ate and left no crumbs.
Afolabi might be gone, but his indelible mark in Nollywood won’t be forgotten easily, and these movies are proof.
Olokiki Oru: The Midnight Sensation (2019)
Released in 2019, the Seun Olaiya-directed epic tells the story of two famed armed robbers who terrorised Yoruba towns following the fall of the Oyo Empire. Murphy Afolabi shone in his role as Opele, beside skilled actors like Ibrahim Chatta and Lateef Adedimeji.
One Blood (2016)
Source: IMDb
Shot in Malaysia and Nigeria, the Abbey Abimbola-directed action flick mirrors racism and gangsterism within the black community in Malaysia. Afolabi played Jordan, one of the gangsters, alongside Kolawole Ajeyemi and Akinyemi Olaiya.
Wasila Coded Reloaded (2022)
Afolabi tried his hands at directing in this action-packed Yoruba film. Ousted from a transport union over a misdemeanour, Wasila (Adebimpe Akintunde) joins a notorious gang. Afolabi plays Olasunkanmi alongside Jide Kosoko, Segun Arinze and Fathia Balogun.
Basira Badia (2016)
Another Yoruba action flick directed by Afolabi, Basira Badia is a story inspired by real-life events that happened in Ijora Badia (a suburb in Lagos). Afolabi plays Kenny, the leader of a street gang. The movie features Fathia Williams, Fausat Balogun and Eniola Iyiola.
Oshun, the Goddess (2018)
Source: IMDb
Afolabi features in this Ade Eketunde-directed epic alongside Femi Branch and Fathia Williams Balogun. Although the film is about the Oshun goddess, it also explores the fight against violence and abuse towards women.
Four Lions (2022)
Afolabi teams up with Kelvin Ikeduba, Ibrahim Yekini and Ibrahim Bashir for this action-packed Yoruba film. Four dreadful armed robbers, backed by a spiritual father, terrorise a community until they have a heated faceoff with the police. This is another production he directed himself.
Abiku (2022)
Months before his demise, Afolabi actively promoted this movie on his socials. He featured in and directed the film before releasing it on YouTube. In it, Afolabi plays a spiritual being whose soul was tethered to an “abiku” (a child predestined to die).
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