Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday led members of the Pyrates Confraternity in paying their last respects to Emeritus Professor Biodun Jeyifo, former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), who was laid to rest.
A video from the burial ceremony showed Soyinka and other members of the confraternity in solemn procession as they honoured the late scholar for his lifetime of service to education and national development.
Biodun Jeyifo, a renowned literary critic and teacher, was widely respected for his contributions to African literature and his role in championing the welfare of Nigerian university lecturers during his tenure as ASUU president. He also taught in several universities in Nigeria and abroad, shaping generations of students and scholars.
ALSO READ:Oyo: 43-year-old man beats brother to death for ‘shooting him in his dream’
Soyinka, who is the Grand Patron of the Pyrates Confraternity in Nigeria, described Jeyifo as a committed intellectual whose voice remained firm in defence of justice, academic freedom and the dignity of the Nigerian university system.
The confraternity said its participation in the burial was to honour Jeyifo’s lifelong dedication to truth, scholarship and social responsibility, values it noted aligned with its founding ideals.
The ceremony drew academics, cultural figures and former colleagues of the late professor, who paid glowing tributes to his legacy as a teacher, activist and public intellectual.
Moment Prof. Wole Soyinka led the Pyrates Confraternity to pay their last respect to Emeritus Professor Biodun Jeyifo, a former ASUU President who was laid to rest today.
— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) March 4, 2026