Breaking: Legendary Yoruba writer, Oladejo Okediji, is dead

Legendary Yoruba writer, Oladejo Okediji, is dead.
The author of super thrillers such as ‘Agbalagba Akan’, ‘Aja Lo Leru’ and ‘Atoto Arere’ was said to have passed on last night a few hours after his son, Moyo Okediji, also an acclaimed artist, announced a grand plan to honour him with a major event and book by the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Confirming Okediji’s passage to phenomenalcom.ng, scholar and writer, Chief Oladiipo Gbenro, who was a close associate of the deceased, said the death was a surprise going bey the fact that Okediji still hosted some people on Tuesday evening, discussing the planned programme.
(One of our people was still with him till 4pm yesterday, and he even told the person that they were going to go out together,” Gbenro said.
“But we thank God for Baba Okediji’s life. He contributed immensely to the development of Yoruba culture and literature. He was a gifted writer. So gifted was he that, based on how interesting the story in each of his books is, and how long-winding, you would think the events last for years. But each story usually lasts 48 hours, including ‘Ajaloleru,” Gbenro explained.
According to him, Okediji set his stories in areas he had lived or where he was familiar with.
“Baba was in Wesley College; he lived in Ife for a long time. So, you will see various places around these areas prominent in his novels,” Gbenro, a former lecturer and administrator at the Oyo (now Osun) State College of Education, Ila Orangun; and Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, added.
Okediji’s passage symbolises a yawning gap in the literary kingdom set in Yoruba language.
Like him, D. O. Fagunwa, Kola Akinlade, Akinwumi Isola, Adebayo Faleti, Afolabi Olabimtan and T. A. A Faleti have died, with no one to practically wear their shoes.