Ex-Lagos Civil Servant Adeniji-Adele Found Dead in London Home

• Prince Adeoba Adeniji-Adele, a Nigerian-British citizen who relocated to London in 2024, was found dead at his flat in Barnet after colleagues sent a welfare check
• His childhood friend confirmed he had been treated for prostate cancer two months before his death but had since returned to work
• His wife Kehinde said she spoke to him the night before he was found, and a stranger announced his death to her over the phone the following day

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering metro.

London, United Kingdom - Prince Adeoba Adeniji-Adele, a 62-year-old Nigerian-British citizen, was found dead at his home in Flat 6, 2A, Bruce Road, Barnet, London, on Monday, November 9, after colleagues grew concerned about his absence and arranged a welfare check.

Adeniji-Adele had retired from the Lagos State Government Public Service, where he worked as an information officer across several agencies, including the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender and the Gbagada General Hospital. He moved back to the United Kingdom in 2024 and had taken up a role as a support officer with Bushey Meadows Supported Living.

Per The Punch, the deceased's childhood friend, Abayomi Ishola, confirmed the news in a telephone conversation on Friday, November 13.

"It was unusual of him not to return calls or respond to messages from both his wife and his office. They got concerned and sent a welfare check to his house; they sent an ambulance after finding him dead," Ishola said.

Ishola disclosed that Adeniji-Adele had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and completed treatment roughly two months before he died.

"He was able to return to work. He didn't have any ailments. We just heard of his death on Monday. He lived alone in his residence but he was agile. He even sent money for his mother's 90th birthday in Nigeria," Ishola added.

According to Ishola, Adeniji-Adele first came to the UK before returning to Nigeria in 2012, where he served for a decade in the Lagos public service.

He fathered four children during his years in Nigeria, including a set of twins, and had secured British passports for all of them after his return to the UK. At the time of his death, he was processing entry clearance for his wife and children to join him in London.

Adeniji-Adele’s widow recounts final call

His widow, Kehinde, described speaking with her husband on the Sunday evening, November 8, before he was discovered. He told her he was tired and needed to rest, and she agreed to call the next day. When her calls went unanswered on the morning he passed away, she assumed he was still sleeping. It was not until around 3.15pm that someone picked up his phone.

"Around 3.15pm, I called him and someone picked but I heard a scream. Then, a white man answered the phone and asked me questions," Kehinde said.

After confirming her identity, the man informed her of her husband's death and explained that a welfare check had been dispatched after he failed to show up at work.

In a tribute posted on Facebook, Kehinde described him as a devoted husband.

"Ademi, Okomi, Ololufe mi, I am writing this with a deep pain my heart. Thank you for being that husband that will give his last fight to make sure all goes well in the family, even though I misunderstood you then, now I understand better," she wrote.

UK authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, and an autopsy is expected to be carried out to determine the cause.

UK-based Nigerian dies in car crash

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a Nigerian man based in the UK died after a road crash in Hertfordshire, leaving his wife and three young children without a husband and father.

David Oyedeji Adediwura was involved in a crash on Cory Wright Way, Wheathampstead. He sustained injuries that proved fatal. He is survived by his wife, Mrs Modinat Omotola Oyedeji, and their three sons.

Source: Legit.ng