Renowned Nigerian playwright and theatre director, Wole Oguntokun, is dead.

Oguntokun, who was also a lawyer, passed away at the age of 56 on Wednesday.

The news of his passing was shared by his friend and film director, Kayode Peters, on his Instagram page on Thursday afternoon.

The post read, “I remember that year. I was just cutting my teeth as a professional theatre director. Your search for a director for your script brought you to the University of Lagos and I was your obvious choice.

“I directed your first-ever performance story ‘Who is Afraid of Wole Soyinka’ at various theatres including the prestigious Muson Centre which was graced by the great @wolesoyinkaofficial himself

“Some months later, we started DBN TV’s first comedy series ‘Crossworld Blues’ which you produced and I directed.

“You moved to Canada and never stopped encouraging me to follow suit. I lost a friend, a thespian all through and through, a great mind, a writer so gifted, so loved. Nigeria just lost one of her brightest and bravest

“Is it a coincidence that you chose to leave on the day the world celebrated World Theatre Day?

“This hurts so bad Wole. Laspapi, our own ojojo. I will miss you so so much. Thank you for trusting me with your work. A good man is gone. Rest well my friend, my brother Wole Oguntokun @laspapi” he wrote.

Born on July 15, 1967, the late Oguntokun served as a board member of Theaturtle, a Canadian theatre company.

An alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University, he produced and wrote the TV sitcoms ‘Crossworld Blues’ on DBN TV in 1999 and ‘Living Free’ on MBI television in 2002.

Popular actor, Ozzy Agu, in a 2016 interview, said that he did some theatre plays with the now-deceased Oguntokun.

He said, “I did one with Wole Oguntokun titled The Red, which was based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood.” (Courtesy, excluding headline, The PUNCH)

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