Yoruba actor Olayemi Jimoh, popularly known as Yemkem, has recounted how he battled severe health complications after portraying a stroke patient in a movie.
The actor said the incident occurred about two years ago after he returned from a movie location in Itoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Yemkem shared his experience during a recent interview with Agbaletu TV, where he disclosed that he began experiencing unusual symptoms shortly after returning from the set.
According to him, his speech became affected, his legs started shaking and his mouth began moving sideways, leaving him and those around him worried.
“What I am talking about is from about two years ago. I went to a movie location and came back. I left Sisi Quadri and Okele at home then. I came back from that location in Itoko, Abeokuta, that night. My words were going out fast, my legs were shaking, and my mouth was moving sideways. The children asked what happened to me,” he said.
Yemkem said he had just completed work on a movie titled Jogodi, in which his character suffered a stroke towards the end of the film.
He said people around him advised him not to dismiss the symptoms and encouraged him to seek medical attention.
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“That’s how I had just shot a movie at that time. The title was ‘Jogodi’. At the end of the movie, my character had a stroke. By the time I got home, I noticed my legs were shaking; people told me not to downplay the situation. They told me it was not ordinary,” he said.
The actor said he eventually consulted a doctor, who advised him to reduce the amount of fat in his body and prescribed medication.
“The doctor asked me to reduce the fat in my body. He wrote some drugs for me. I gave him N450,000. As I was sick, I was still paying house rent. There were specific foods I was to eat,” he said.
Yemkem explained that he initially kept his health condition private but later disclosed it when the situation became more serious.
He said the financial burden of seeking treatment eventually forced him to sell some of his belongings, including his car.
“I did not want to make it public then, but I eventually did. There was this brother of mine who was acting that assisted me. That man and another person helped me find a solution,” he said.
“When the situation became tense, I had to sell my car for treatment. I spent all the money I had on it. I was seeking traditional medical help. I still feel pain in my hands and legs.”
The actor also revealed that he explored several forms of treatment during his health battle.
“I did so many things. I got an incision done by the teeth of a cobra,” he said.
Beyond his health struggles, Yemkem said he is currently facing serious financial difficulties.
He disclosed that he no longer has money and is worried about losing the home where he currently lives following the death of his landlord.
“I no longer have money. The house I am living in now, the landlord died, and the children are already giving us signals to vacate the house,” he said.
Recounting another recent difficulty, the actor added, “I still fought with a bike man just now. These things make me cry.”
Yemkem is known for his appearances in Yoruba-language films and has featured in several Nollywood productions over the years.
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