Tears and tributes have poured in following the passing of an iconic Ibadan drummer, whose photo once sold for N2M as an NFT.
The elderly drummer, fondly known as Baba Onilu, gained recognition in 2022 when a photographer, Adisa Olashile, captured striking images of him and transformed them into digital assets. The images, which highlighted the drummer’s vibrant energy and dedication to entertaining National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members during their weekly Community Development Service in Ibadan, went viral and were eventually sold as NFTs for a substantial sum.
Adisa, who ensured that the drummer received half of the proceeds from the NFT sales, recently took to his X page to announce the heartbreaking news of Baba Onilu’s passing.
Expressing his grief, the photographer wrote:
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un, Baba Onilu has gone back to his creator 😔 May Almighty grant him Aljanatul Firdaus 🥹 help me send a prayer to him 🌙🙏🏻”
Social Media Reactions:
The news of Baba Onilu’s demise sparked a wave of reactions from Nigerians, particularly former NYSC members who had fond memories of his drumming at various community events.
@YeyeOba001 said: “May his soul rest in the warmth of God’s embrace. Thank you for putting a lasting smile on his face.”
COCKTAIL VENDOR in IBADAN/LAG said: “Remember this man during my NYSC at Egbeda Local Government. May God grant him eternal rest.”
Betty said: “This Baba beat drum for us at Egbeda Secretariat during my service year in Ibadan. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”
Royal priesthood said: “Secretariat Egbeda Local Government in Ibadan. Then I took pics with him and gave him money. Immediately I saw this post, I had to go and check our pics together. RIP Baba.”
Military Nurse said: “I also took a snap with this Man when I was still serving and passing out at Ibadan North NYSC Secretariat thennn…Rest in peace, Legend.”
Check out the post below …
