How Popular Nollywood Filmmaker, Biyi Bandele Died Revealed

Biyi Bandele

Details of how renowned Nigerian novelist, playwright, and filmmaker, Biyi Bandele, died have emerged.

Recall that Bandele died on 9 August 2022 in Lagos at the age of 54.

Temi Bandele, the daughter of the filmmaker announced his death in a statement but did not disclose the cause.

The Guardian UK in a report published on Sunday, revealed that Bandele committed su!cide in August 2022.

The paper noted that Bandele ended his life a day after a conversation with his editor, Hannah Chukwu, about his novel, ‘Yorùbá Boy Running’ in early April 2022.

The paper said after their discussion, Bandele sent his editor a revised version of the manuscript before committing suicide.

The newspaper reported, “On the following day, the 54-year-old filmmaker, playwright and novelist took his own life.

“He left behind an impressive and strikingly varied body of work: the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, which took seven years to make; stage versions of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko and Lorca’s Yerma; poetry, screenplays and several novels including 2007’s Burma Boy, which told the story of his father’s harrowing and brutal experiences as a British army soldier in the second world war.”

Bandele’s ‘Yorùbá Boy Running’ chronicles the life of Samuel Àjàyí Crowther, who navigated a harrowing journey in the 19th century. Crowther’s life unfolded from abduction and enslavement to abandonment in Sierra Leone, ultimately leading to his return to Nigeria.

His journey culminated in a distinguished career in the clergy, where he made history as the first Black bishop ordained by the Anglican Church.

Bandele before his death directed and adapted the screenplay for ‘Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman’ in 2022, a film based on Wole Soyinka’s classic drama, ‘Death and the King’s Horseman.’

This adaptation was produced for EbonyLife Films and released on 28 October 2022. The film was produced by Mo Abudu, James Amuta, Judith Audu-Foght, Adeola Osunkojo, and Heidi Uys, and was distributed by Netflix.

The film featured a talented cast, including Odunlade Adekola, Shaffy Bello, Deyemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada, Jide Kosoko, Kevin Ushi, Jenny Stead, and Mark Elderkin, among others.