The wife and young daughter of the late Nigerian footballer Saburi Adeniji, popularly known as Ola, have arrived in the United Kingdom barely a day after he passed away.
Adeniji, a 26-year-old left winger for Kings Park Rangers Football Club of Sudbury, a non-league side competing in the Eastern Counties League Division One North, died on Friday morning after battling a severe brain stem injury.
The club confirmed his death in a statement issued on Saturday, disclosing that the footballer had held on in critical condition in the hope of seeing his family, who were travelling from Nigeria.
“It is with great sadness that we must announce our number 17, Saburi Adeniji ‘Ola’, passed away yesterday morning,” the statement read.
“He fought so hard to still be here for when his family arrived. His wife and daughter, unfortunately, arrived this morning, a day late.”
The announcement sparked an outpouring of grief across social media, with Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, as well as members of the UK football community, expressing heartbreak over the timing of his family’s arrival and the circumstances surrounding his death.
In a community update shared on X on Saturday, influencer Benjamin Kuti, popularly known as Oluomo of Derby and founder of a Nigerians in the UK group, confirmed the tragic development.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Saburi Olayinka Adeniji, who died yesterday following a severe brain stem injury,” he wrote.
“Sadly, his wife and daughter were unable to say their final goodbyes, as they only arrived in the UK today.”
Kuti added that the family had expressed deep appreciation to donors who contributed to the GoFundMe campaign set up to support them during Adeniji’s illness.
“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who donated to the GoFundMe. The family is truly grateful and deeply appreciates your kindness, support and generosity during this difficult time,” he said.
Tributes have continued to pour in, with a childhood friend, Oke Samuel (@Sarhmkhinhg), describing the late footballer as selfless, brave and deeply committed to his family.
“We were boys together, running through the same streets, laughing at nothing, dreaming of everything,” he wrote.
“You left Nigeria with hope in your hands, not for pride, but to take care of those you loved. You were brave. You were selfless. You were real.”
“Death took you too soon, but it can never take who you were or what you meant to me,” he added.
Reacting to the news, X user @MindOfNaijaLife described the story as devastating.
“To think that his wife and little daughter were in the air, rushing to see him, only to arrive one day too late is a pain I can’t even imagine,” the user wrote.
“Saburi ‘Ola’ Adeniji fought so hard to stay until they arrived, but God had other plans.”
Another user, @Floxybby, said the story was “incredibly heavy,” adding that the thought of Adeniji’s family travelling thousands of miles with hope of a final goodbye only to arrive hours too late was heartbreaking.
Influencer EtiOba also paid tribute, sharing photos with Adeniji, including childhood images, and writing on Instagram, “Grief is love with nowhere to go. Good night brother. Rest well, Agba.”
Earlier in January, Kings Park Rangers had publicly disclosed Adeniji’s critical condition and announced the suspension of all club matches in solidarity.
On January 17, the club said, “We are asking everyone to pray for our left winger Saburi Adeniji (Ola). All Kings Park Rangers games will be on hold as we look to support him at his bedside until he is better.”
As his condition worsened, the club endorsed a GoFundMe campaign organised by Joshua Pollard to raise funds to bring Adeniji’s wife and four-year-old daughter from Nigeria to the UK.
According to details on the fundraising page, Adeniji was admitted to intensive care at Queen’s Hospital, Romford, on January 15, 2026.
“According to his consultant in critical care, his condition has continued to deteriorate, and he is now considered to be imminently dying,” the statement read.
“Due to the severity of his injury, Saburi has been medically classified as brain dead.”
It further explained that changes in UK medical law initially delayed the withdrawal of life support, allowing a brief window for his family to travel.
“The hospital has compassionately allowed a short window of time to enable Saburi’s family to travel to the UK so they may be with him before he passes naturally on life support or life support is withdrawn,” it stated.
As of the time of filing this report, donations on the GoFundMe page had reached £16,469, about 97 per cent of the £17,000 target, with more than 630 donations, many from Nigerians both at home and abroad.
Beyond facilitating the family’s travel, Kings Park Rangers said the funds raised would also support Adeniji’s widow and help secure the education of his young daughter.
