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Nigerian-British Retiree Found Dead in London Home, Wife Recounts Final Phone Call
A 62-year-old Nigerian-British citizen, Prince Adeoba Adeniji-Adele, has been found dead in his residence in Barnet, London, United Kingdom.
Adeniji-Adele’s death was discovered on Monday after his colleagues at Bushey Meadows Supported Living reportedly requested a welfare check when he failed to report to work and respond to calls and messages.
His childhood friend, Abayomi Ishola, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with Saturday PUNCH on Friday.
Ishola said the deceased’s unusual silence raised concerns among his colleagues and family members, prompting them to contact the authorities.
“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,” he said.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, as UK authorities have commenced an investigation. An autopsy is expected to establish the cause of death.
Ishola disclosed that Adeniji-Adele was diagnosed with prostate cancer but received treatment about two months before his death.
According to him, the deceased had recovered sufficiently to return to work and appeared to be in good health.
“He was able to return to work. He didn’t have any ailments. We just heard of his death on Monday,” Ishola added.
Adeniji-Adele relocated to Nigeria in 2012 after initially living in the UK. He subsequently worked for about 10 years in the Lagos State Government Public Service as an information officer in different government agencies.
He served at the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender before his eventual posting to Gbagada General Hospital, where he retired.
Following his retirement, he returned to the UK in 2024 and secured employment as a support officer with Bushey Meadows Supported Living.
Ishola said the deceased left behind four children, including a set of twins, and had obtained British passports for them after returning to the UK.
He was reportedly making arrangements for his wife, Kehinde, and their children to join him in Britain before his death.
In an emotional tribute on Facebook, Kehinde described her late husband as a loving and devoted family man who made sacrifices for his family.
She wrote, “Ademi, Okomi, Ololufe mi, I am writing this with a deep pain in 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.”
Speaking with journalists ,the widow recounted her last conversation with her husband, saying they spoke the day before his death.
According to her, Adeniji-Adele told her he was exhausted and wanted to sleep after they had chatted for some time.
She said she promised to call him the following day but became worried when he failed to answer her calls.
Kehinde explained that her concern deepened around 3:15pm on Monday when someone answered her husband’s phone.
She said she initially heard a scream before a white man took the phone and asked her to identify herself and confirm her relationship with the deceased.
The man subsequently informed her that her husband had been found dead after colleagues raised concerns over his absence from work and requested a welfare check at his residence.
Punch reports that, the widow said the British authorities were planning to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death, adding that her husband had been making arrangements for her and their children to relocate to the UK.
