Friends and Family appeal for information regarding missing poet Gboyega Odubanjo

Police are appealing for information regarding the whereabouts of British-Nigerian writer and poet Gboyega Odubanjo, who was last seen at Shambala festival in Northamptonshire in the early hours of Saturday morning (August 26).

Friends and family have asked that anyone who may have seen Odubanjo, or have knowledge of his whereabouts after 4:00AM on Saturday to come forward.

According to a statement by Northamptonshire Police, Odubanjo was last seen in the county’s Kelmarsh area — he is 5ft 6in with short black dreadlocks and a full face beard. He usually wears glasses and was last seen wearing a beige/cream bucket hat, a red and white striped gilet with black long sleeve clothing underneath, black trousers and dark coloured shoes.

East-London born Odubanjo is an editor at bath magg - “a magazine of new poetry,” a Roundhouse Resident Artist, and a recipient of the 2021 Eric Gregory Award for his New Poets Prize Pamphlet Aunty Uncle Poems. His pamphlet, While I Yet Live, was also published by Bad Betty Press in 2019, and in 2021 his Oil Music poem, was featured as poem of the month on The Guardian.

We are urging anyone who attended the Shamabala festival over the weekend to come forward with any information they think may be relevant. Currently, there have been no updates since he was first reported missing, other than an improved description of his clothing.

Friends of Gboyega, who also goes by “Yega”, are also urging anyone who may have seen him in or around London over the bank holiday weekend to come forward and reach out to police.

We are also appealing directly to Gboyega to please contact your loved ones or the police if you are reading this, they are concerned and would like you to come home.

Anyone with any information should contact the Northamptonshire Police department on 101, quoting the reference MPD1/2619/23.