Ayangbenle, known as ‘Baba Onilu,’ a distinguished drummer from Ibadan, has sadly passed away. He was renowned for his exceptional drumming skills and was a dedicated performer for Osun during the Osun Osogbo festival, hailing from Ede town in Osun State.
His son confirmed the news of his passing, stating, “Baba Onilu has passed away overnight. May Almighty Allah grant him Aljanah Fidarus.” His last words were reported to be “La Ilaaha Ila lahu.”
Throughout his life, Ayangbenle entertained students at the University of Ibadan during convocations and provided drumming performances for corps members in Ibadan.
In April 2022, he gained widespread attention when Adisa Olashile, a corps member serving in Ibadan, captured candid photographs of him that went viral on Twitter. Olashile minted two of these photos as NFTs, which were quickly sold on OpenSea for 0.3 ETH each, roughly equivalent to one million naira.
Adisa pledged to share 50% of the proceeds with Baba Onilu. He presented him with 500,000 naira, along with an additional 100,000 naira raised through donations. The drummer received this substantial amount in astonishment, along with a framed photo of himself.
In a previous interview, Ayangbenle shared that he inherited his drumming talent from his father and had never attended a formal training center. “Drumming is the profession of my paternal grandmother’s lineage. I started drumming in Ibadan,” he remarked.
