Prince Adeoba Adeniji-Adele, a retired Lagos State civil servant and Nigerian-British citizen, has been found dead at his residence in London, United Kingdom, aged 62.
His body was discovered last Monday at his home in Barnet after colleagues at his workplace became concerned when he failed to respond to calls and messages.
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A childhood friend, Abayomi Ishola, confirmed the incident to Saturday PUNCH, explaining that Adeniji-Adele’s unusual silence prompted his colleagues and family members to request a welfare check.
According to Ishola, an ambulance was called after he was found dead at the residence.
Adeniji-Adele relocated to the UK in 2024 after retiring from the Lagos State Government Public Service, where he served as an information officer in different government agencies.
Following his return, he worked as a support officer at Bushey Meadows Supported Living.
Ishola disclosed that the deceased had previously been diagnosed with prostate cancer and received treatment about two months before his death.
He said Adeniji-Adele had recovered sufficiently to return to work and had not been known to be experiencing any other health problems.
He also described him as active, noting that he had recently sent money to support his mother’s 90th birthday celebration in Nigeria.
Adeniji-Adele had lived in the UK before moving to Nigeria in 2012.
During his time in Lagos, he worked at the state’s Office of the Public Defender before being transferred to Gbagada General Hospital, where he eventually retired.
He left behind four children, including a set of twins.
Ishola said the deceased had obtained British passports for his children after returning to the UK and was making arrangements for his wife, Kehinde, and the children to join him before his death.
Kehinde, in a tribute shared on Facebook, described her late husband as a loving partner who made sacrifices to ensure the wellbeing of their family.
She also recounted her final conversation with him, saying they spoke the day before he died.
According to her, Adeniji-Adele told her he was exhausted and wanted to sleep.
She promised to call him the following day, but he did not answer when she tried reaching him on Monday.
Initially, she assumed he was still asleep or resting.
However, her concern increased when she could not establish contact with him.
Kehinde said that around 3:15pm, someone answered her husband’s phone, and she heard a scream before a man took over the conversation.
The man asked her to identify herself and confirm her relationship with Adeniji-Adele before informing her that her husband had been found dead.
She said she was subsequently given an explanation of how his colleagues had noticed his absence from work and arranged for a welfare check at his residence.
The British authorities have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Kehinde said an autopsy was expected to be conducted to establish the cause of death.
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She also confirmed that her husband had been making arrangements for her and their children to relocate to the UK before the tragedy.
Peculiar Adirika is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
