Abimbola Olawuyi, widow of pioneering Southwest Nigerian investigative broadcaster Kola Olawuyi, has died after a brief illness, plunging the family into fresh grief nearly two decades after losing the celebrated journalist whose programmes Iriri Aye and Nnkan Nbe transformed crime reporting in the region.
A family that has known deep loss now knows it again.
Abimbola Olawuyi, widow of legendary investigative broadcaster Kola Olawuyi, passed away on Monday morning after a brief illness, PM News has learnt. A family member who confirmed the development on condition of anonymity said she died peacefully.
Her passing comes 19 years after the death of her husband — the fearless journalist whose radio and television programmes, Iriri Aye and Nnkan Nbe, made him one of the most celebrated and trusted media voices in Southwest Nigeria. Through those platforms, Kola Olawuyi exposed criminal networks, ritual killings, fraud and social vices with a boldness that earned him widespread respect and a permanent place in Nigerian broadcasting history.
In the years following her husband’s death, Abimbola quietly stepped back from public life, channelling her energy into raising their four children and holding the family together through what relatives described as years of personal sacrifice and quiet determination.
That steadiness, family members say, is how she will be remembered.
“Many regarded her as the steady force that sustained the Olawuyi family over the past 19 years,” a family member told PM News, describing the sense of devastation felt by relatives, friends and well-wishers at the news of her death.
Kola Olawuyi’s legacy in Southwest Nigerian media remains undiminished. His investigative style — combining storytelling with accountability journalism — set a standard that influenced a generation of broadcasters and established him as a pioneer of crime reporting in the region. Abimbola’s quiet role in preserving that legacy and nurturing the family he left behind has now itself become part of the story.
Burial arrangements for Abimbola Olawuyi have not yet been announced. The family said details will be released in due course.
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