Lawrence Audu: Defence Journalist’s Untimely Death on Cusp of Fatherhood
The unexpected passage of our friend and colleague, Lawrence Bilal Audu on Wednesday February 5, 2025 in Ibadan, was and still a shock to us all at the OurNigeria News Magazine
In the last one year, I have worked closely with Lawrence. He as the Editor-in-chief of @NorthEastStarMagazine, and I as the Editor-in-chief of @OurNigeriaNewsMagazine, owned by the same organisation.
In fact, on Thursday, January 30, just a week before his unfortunately death, we were all at the Abuja Continental Hotel venue of the OurNigeria Awards 2024 where he was meant to anchor the event, but I had to take his place because of a troubling toothache.
A few days later, he left on a trip to Owu Kuta to cover an event, after which he, along with others returned to Ibadan, to pass the night so they could catch their flight early on Wednesday morning.
On that Tuesday night, on account of the toothache, and its accompanying excruciatingpain, he excused himself from the dinner table, offering to go into his room, to drink tea and rest for the trip back to Abuja the next day, especially as he could not eat like the others.
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In the morning, the travelling team assembled at the hotel’s restaurant to take their breakfast, before heading to the airport, but then the protocol officer discovered someone is missing. And that someone happened to be our dear Lawrence. They put a call through to invite him for breakfast, and of course for the trip to the airport, but no response. They then went to his room, where they knocked persistently, but no response srill.
The team then had to inquire from the reception if he had checked out and once they confirmed that he had not, they decided to get into the room using the hotel’s master key. And behold, sadly, they met Lawrence’s naked but lifeless body sprawled on the floor of his hotel room, and his laptop active.
He was immediately rushed to the Military Clinic, where he was pronounced dead. As in Brought in Dead!
It was such a shocking turn of events. A very big loss is, and especially the family. And for those who have been asking, this incident was kept under wrap for two obvious reasons: Consideration for Lawrence’s heavily pregnant wife, who by the information available to us, has a due date for delivery of their second child in 24 hours, and of course his aged parents back home in Otukpo.
His wife has since been put to bed, on Thursday February 6, to a bouncing baby boy, who will live with the trauma of arriving 24 hours after his father’s departure from this sinful world.
Late last night (Friday) , Lawrence’s corpse arrived in Otukpo, his hometown, for his final burial rite, accompanied by a member of our Editorial Board
Permit me, in conclusion, on behalf of the publisher, editorial board and management of OurNigeria News, commiserate with the families and friends of our dear brother, for this irreparable loss, especially his wife, and parents.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Thank you.
Om’Oba Jerry Adesewo is the Editor-in-Chief of OurNigeria News Magazine.
