Dele Odule: I once priced my own casket when life became unbearable

Dele Odule, the veteran Nollywood actor, has revealed that he once visited a coffin shop to price his own casket during one of the lowest moments of his life.

Speaking in an interview with FeelRightNews TV, the actor recounted how emotional and financial struggles pushed him into despair, despite not being physically ill.

Odule said he visited a casket shop in Oke-Ijeun, Abeokuta, alongside fellow actor Olaiya Igwe, out of fear that his burial would become a subject of ridicule among his Ijebu kinsmen.

“I went to price my own casket in Oke-Ijeun in Abeokuta when things became tough for me, and I did not want people to make a jest of me. Some people know about it. Olaiya Igwe knows about it. We went there together. He burst into tears,” he said.

The actor explained that at the time, many of his former colleagues who trained as teachers with him had become successful military officers, while he felt stuck and hopeless.

“I had believed I would not have a breakthrough. I could no longer get myself. I was not sick. I was tired of everything,” he added.

Odule also spoke about the painful loss of his son, who died on August 14, 2004, after a prolonged illness despite efforts to seek help from hospitals, religious centres, and traditional healers.

According to him, he explored both Christian and Islamic prayers, alongside traditional remedies, in a desperate attempt to save the child.

Reflecting on the tragedy, the actor said he has since found comfort in his Christian faith and accepted fate as part of life.

“One of his siblings is about to earn a PhD. I feel so emotional anytime I remember, but I find solace in Jesus Christ,” he said.