Death has claimed the lives of two eminent Nigerians, Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr. Michael Adeyemo, and the Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Media and Publicity, Malam Imam Imam.
While the Oyo Assembly speaker slumped and died of heart attack barely five years after the demise of his wife, Imam who was an accomplished journalist died in the early hours of Friday at the Nziamye Turkish Hospital Abuja.
The Oyo State Government has declared a three day mourning for Adeyemo from Monday, April 30 to Wednesday, May 2, 2018 with the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi directing that flags be flown at half mast during the period.
Saturday Sun reliably gathered that Adeyemo was confirmed to have succumbed to heart attack at the end of an autopsy conducted on his remains at the Anatomy Department, University of Ibadan. Medical experts that carried out the autopsy were said to have been led in the exercise by the Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, who is a cardiovascular surgeon.
As gathered, Adeyemo reportedly drove himself from his office at the Oyo State House of Assembly Complex, Agodi, Ibadan to his official lodge at Agodi GRA on Thursday evening. But on his way, he was said to have felt uncomfortable, which made him to drive to the Jericho Specialist Hospital, Ibadan, where he was said to have been given some drugs after some examinations.
He reportedly drove back home and was fine till Friday morning. Sources said he spoke with his new wife and children who reside in the United Kingdom, and that they were billed to travel to Nigeria on Friday to spend the weekend with him.
The death was said to have occurred barely five years after the demise of his wife, who was said to have breathed her last on Adeyemo’s birthday in 2013.
Adeyemo, who would have clocked 47 years on November 22, 2018, was elected into the Oyo State House of Assembly in 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was re-elected in 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Ajimobi, who was on official assignment outside the state, had to rush down to Ibadan when the news was broken to him, and headed straight to the Anatomy Department of the University of Ibadan where the late Speaker’s remains were kept.
The governor described the death as a tragic loss for him and the people of the state. He said: “I received the news of the untimely passage of my brother, friend and dependable political ally, with grief and utter shock, this morning (Friday).
Meanwhile, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, a chieftain of the PDP in the state, Mr. Seyi Makinde among others have also played glowing tributes to the deceased, and commiserated with Ajimobi and the Adeyemos.
For the Special Adviser to Governor Tambuwal on Media and Publicity, Malam Imam Imam, he died yesterday after a brief illness.
Imam’s younger brother, Abubakar and his friend, Muhammad Isa, confirmed that the deceased was to be buried at Wuse 2 after Jumuat Prayers.
Abubakar said Imam’s burial would be held at the Al-Nur Mosque in Abuja.
Late Imam was a staff of Thisday Newspapers until he was appointed by Tambuwal when he(Tambuwal) emerged the Speaker of the 7th House of Representatives. In 2015 after Tambuwal won the governorship election in Sokoto State, he still retained Imam as his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has condoled with the Sokoto State Government.
In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on media and publicity, Abdu Labaran, Masari described the news of Imam’s death as sad.
Also, Zamfara State governor, Abdul’Aziz Yari Abubakar described Imam as a journalist per excellence whose death will be felt in the media industry.
In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, he said the death was a sad and painful loss for Sokoto and Taraba states in particular and the nation in general.
Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State also condoled with his Sokoto counterpart, describing the news of Imam’s death as saddening.
-Sun