By correspondent.
Veteran Actor, Usman Baba Pategi, popularly known as Samanja Mazan Fama, is dead, aged 84.
The Kaduna-based popular Hausa film actor said died on Sunday, according to his son, Mohammad Usman, adding that his father left two wives and 12 children to mourn him.
According to Wikipedia, Usman Baba Pategi, known mostly as Samanja Mazan Fama was born on 20 May 1942 as well as being a retired Nigerian Army.
He introduced the Hausa comedy known now as Kannywood,Northern Nigerian films or Hausa films in the 80s to the Northern audience.
He did that with Yusuf Ladan, Mamman Ladan, and Idi Jibril, an NTA staff.
Pategi was born into the royal house of Pategi Emirate in Pategi,kwara Northern Nigeria. He was the son of Etsu Usman Patako, late King of Pategi.
He started his early education in Pategi primary school and then went to Ilorin Middle School. Then later went to Kaduna to live with his uncle, Alhaji Audu Bida.
He also worked with public works department in the mechanical store before joining Northern Broadcasting Corporation, (NBC) in Kaduna.
He joined the Nigerian Army in and trained at the Signal Training School, Apapa.
He served under General Sani Abacha and General Sani Sami. Later he retired in 1985 and went on for acting career in drama at the FRCN Kaduna which he also directed and wrote movies, mostly known as Samanja Maza Fama, meaning Sergeant-Major (SerMajor) due to the experience he got in his army career.
In 2010, he was in India for a surgery of heart illness and was with N1.5 million was given by the Chairman Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, as reported by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN)-Wikipedia.
