Torrents of tributes as artistes mourn passage of Kannywood icon, Hauwa Maina

Since her demise on Wednesday, May 2, 2018, at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, at the age of 48 years, friends and relatives of the Kannywood star have been trooping to the deceased’s residence at Badarawa, Kaduna North Local Government to pay their last respect to the popular Hausa actress and producer, Hauwa Maina

Maina, who had featured in both Hausa and English movies,  left behind her mother, as well as her daughter, 21-year-old Maryam Bukar Hassan.

Maryam, a prolific poet, was still in shock when Sunday Tribune visited the deceased’s residence. She said her only regret was that her mother would not see her unborn child. She described her as caring and loving, stating that her mother mentored and helped her to discover herself.

The deceased, who featured in more than 100 movies, made her debut in 1999. Born in Kaduna, late Maina hailed from Biu, Borno State.

She was said to have attended primary school in Geidam and secondary school in Nguru, both in Yobe State. SundayTribune’s efforts to interview one of her confidants in the movie industry, Ali Nuhu were not successful, although one of his staff, who pleaded for anonymity, remarked that the deceased and his boss (Ali Nuhu) had known each other for 20 years.

He described the deceased as a true professional, who enjoyed what she was doing, stating that “we are  going to miss her.”

The actress, who won the Best Actress, SIM awards in 2010, and the Best Afro-Nollywood Award, London in 2007, produced her movies.

However, her break in the movie industry came when she featured in Queen Amina and Bayyajida.

Commenting on her demise, another famous Kannywood star, Hamisu Iyantama, remarked that, “Kannywood has lost a great personality, who made her mark and  contributed immensely to the growth of the Hausa film industry.”

In the same vein, many of her fans and friends mourned her on the social media. A fan wrote on her Facebook handle: “Kannywood has loss a versatile actress.” Another of her friend, Ibrahim Sheme, a journalist and writer, prayed that paradise would be her final abode.

Also, the  personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, stated: “Oh God, she was indeed a veteran. I grew up watching her on TV. May Allah forgive all her shortcomings, accept her and grant her Jannatul Firdaus.”

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Also speaking, a friend and neighbour of the deceased, Hajiya Balkisu, remarked that she was very passionate about assisting the poor, noting that whenever people came to seek for any form of assistance, she obliged.

Another neighbour, who pleaded anonymity, described the deceased as a very religious person who never missed her daily prayers.

She said: “On her dying bed, her ex-husband visited her to see how she was recuperating, and she told him that she was going to die. Truly, she died. May God forgive her shortcomings,” she declared.

She has since been buried in Kaduna, according to Islamic rites.

Reports from Kano State showed that Hauwa Maina, who was an indigene of Borno State, in Biu Local government, was, according to findings, before her untimely death, said to have visited the hospital as a result of an undisclosed ailment. It was also revealed that though she was based in Kaduna, where she attended school and also had business transactions aside being an actress, she only came to Kano whenever she was invited for movie shoots.

It was learnt from some of her colleagues that she did not always come to Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for treatment, but went to private hospitals in Kaduna to receive attention.

However, while speaking with Mudasir Kazeem, a Hausa singer based in Kano, he said: “I know Hauwa Maina. She was a friend in the film industry; very humble, intelligent, and easy-going woman.

“I worked with her sometimes, and I knew that she was very intelligent. She has been in the film industry for over 20 years. When I came into film industry in 1999, she was already there before me. However, I do not know the actual date she was admitted into the hospital.

“All I know about her is that she was not well, because she visited her doctor for treatment many times.”