The national publicity secretary for the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, is dead.
Mr Odumakin, a public analyst, activist and politician, reportedly died in Lagos on Saturday morning as a result COVID-19 related ailment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja, Lagos.
The wife of the deceased and popular human rights crusader, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, confirmed her husband’s death saying she was on her way to LASUTH.
“Yes, Yinka is no more oh. We met in the prison and now he has left me,” she lamented in Yoruba language.
“We are on our way to the morgue to deposit his body,” one of his aides confided in a source on the phone.
According to one of his associates, Mr Odumakin had in the last two weeks told journalists that he would not be able to pick his calls due to failing health and introduced an associate to be in charge of his official communications.
Also, about a month ago, Mr Odumakin fell critically ill during a visit to the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola. The government promptly responded by offering him emergency medical care.
He, immediately returned to Lagos after he was stabilised by the medical officials.
Reacting to the news, Afenifere’s new leader, Ayo Adebanjo tweeted a photo of Odumakin which he captioned, “This is too heavy to bear.”
Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday paid a condolence visit to leader of pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, on the demise of the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Odumakin.
Obasanjo visited the nonagenarian at his Lagos residence to commiserate with him on the death of Odumakin.
Also, Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has described the death of the National Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, as one death too many.
Adams said Yoruba lost a fearless son who spoke truth to power.
Adams was quoted as saying, “We’ll all miss his voice. We’ll miss his commitment, we’ll miss his bravery because the late Yinka Odumakin’s fearless image loomed larger than what we can easily forget in a hurry.
