*The late Hon. Shakiru Ayilara.
There are moments when words become inadequate to express the depth of one’s grief. The death of Hon. Shakiru Ayilara, popularly known as Shako Alhaji, is one of such moments for me. I did not merely lose a friend, an associate, or a brother; I lost a man with whom I shared a remarkable part of life’s journey.
Our bond began many decades ago. We attended the same Durowoju Memorial Evening School at Isale Ijeun, Abeokuta in 1972, alongside Hon. Ganiyu Ademuyiwa and others. Looking back today, that year was not merely a season of schooling; it was the foundation of a relationship that would endure for decades.
Shakiru was a man of substance, enterprise and service. He distinguished himself as a business tycoon and a community leader, while also contributing meaningfully to public life. He served as the then Councillor of the Abeokuta Local Government in 1987 and later served as Chairman of the Ogun State Bulk Purchasing Corporation in 2006. He also served as Chairman of the Ike Oluwa Community Development Association, Imala, Abeokuta, and until his passing, was the State Chairman of the Association of Ram Sellers, Ogun State Chapter.
Beyond these positions and accomplishments was a man deeply connected to his roots. As a descendant of Agburin, one of the four leaders who led the Egbas to Abeokuta, Shakiru carried with him a profound sense of heritage, identity, and responsibility. Yet, for those of us who knew him closely, his greatest significance was not captured by titles or positions, but by the relationships he built and the lives he touched.
For me and the entire Isola family, his passing is profoundly personal. The years we spent together created a bond that transcended school, family connections, and public engagements. He was a brother in the truest sense of the word, and his departure has left a void that words cannot easily fill.
I mourn a brother whose laughter, presence, counsel, and companionship have suddenly become memories. I mourn the passing of a man whose journey I had witnessed from our formative years and whose life continued to intersect with mine in ways that made our bond especially precious.
Alhaji Shakiru Ayilara is survived by his wife and many children. At this painful moment, my thoughts and prayers are with his immediate family, relatives, friends, associates, and the entire community he served.
May Allah forgive his shortcomings, accept his good deeds, grant him Al-Jannatul Firdaus, and give his family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
I lost a brother and that is a loss I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life.
Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola, OFR
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (2021–2023)
Baba Adinni of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta States