“Baba O” was our traditional hailing of each other. After this exchange, we would pump our hands in a handshake. He was as firm as his handshakes and a loyal friend to have. Our paths intersected in the paved city of Abuja while we were honing our skills in the hospitality industry.
He graduated from Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti, and served in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He started his career as a security guard in the Sheraton Hotel and Towers (now Abuja Continental Hotel), Ladi Kwali Way, Abuja, around 1988. Despite the many government agencies in the city, as a graduate, he could only get a placement as a security guard of an international hotel.
It was tough work that entailed long hours and physical strength. But his intelligence, perseverance, and diligence paid off. In 1991, he changed departments, becoming an Outlet Cashier. By 1993, he was a Front Office Cashier. When he left Sheraton in 2001, he had risen to Revenue and Reservations Manager, a strategic position in the hospitality industry.
Sheraton afforded him the opportunity to receive on-the-job training both in Nigeria and in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE). What was adversity, he transformed into a drink of triumph.
After Sheraton, he continued in the hospitality industry, working in two consulting firms. It was in one of these firms in Garki, Abuja, that we met in 1998. We later worked side-by-side at another firm managing two hotels in Kaduna until 2003, when we pursued separate ventures.
Our shared passion for self-development kept us connected. We enrolled for Postgraduate Diploma Programmes at Kaduna Polytechnic in 2003 – he studied Business Administration, while I studied Marketing. In 2012, we pursued another PGD in Hospitality Management at the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Abuja, often attending lectures together and motivating each other through the challenges of balancing work and study.
We stayed close, doing hospitality consultancy work across several cities. He was a man of principles; hard work, diligence, and integrity defined him. We never had disagreements over money or ethics – we subscribed to the business principle of ‘never to get high on your own merchandise’ Oliver Stone, 1983.
He worked tirelessly, never hesitating to jump into an all-night bus for a business appointment despite the dangers. His commitment to his family was unwavering, and his wife, Olori, was his confidant. Between them, you could notice they both respected their marital bond. Their unwavering discipline has played a pivotal role in raising four well-mannered children who confidently hold their place in society.
In 2015, he told me he had answered the call to become the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti. Though unexpected, his large-heartedness and willingness to serve made it unsurprising. Adjusting from calling him Baba O to Kabiesi took time, but it was a privilege to see him embrace this role.
Unfortunately, this story takes a tragic turn. On January 29, 2024, some subspecies of humanity robbed us of him and another Oba. A cursed event that turned the lives of family, friends, and community into grief. The news broke that day: three Obas returning (ironically) from a security meeting were ambushed along the Ipao-Irele-Oke-Ako Road. The Alara of Ara escaped, but the Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti and the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti were brutally murdered.
Two lives were cut short, leaving families and communities in anguish. For those left behind, restitution and justice seem elusive. Kidnappers, the current ‘gods’ of our society, take victims alive for a ransom. But this was an act of barbarity – an affront to humanity and the dignity of the Oba institution.
In early February 2024, the Ekiti State Police Command apprehended a suspect, and another was arrested in March. Both are awaiting trial, but until justice is served, the families, Esun-Ekiti, and Imojo-Ekiti remain engulfed in grief.
I contacted the family upon hearing the news (the night of the gruesome incident), and was numbed by the confirmation. The night suddenly became a nightmare! Kabiesi’s absence leaves a painful wound of loss. This tragedy leaves his family and community in mourning and adds a large number to the dreaded hall of the grief-stricken – a grim place and testament to the insecurity plaguing Nigeria.