By Divine Nwakanma
One of the co-founders of Bukka Hut, a Lagos-based eatery, Laolu Martins, is dead.
Martins, who was a banker with over 21 years of experience in investment banking, corporate banking, stockbroking, asset and pension fund management, died on Tuesday night.
The family of the deceased confirmed his death in a statement on Wednesday.
“We hereby solicit the support and understanding of everyone as the family grieves the loss of our beloved Laolu in our privacy.
“Further announcements will be made by the family,” the statement said.
Martins started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1999.
Though the family did not state the cause of his death, his friend John Edgar confirmed that the entrepreneur took his life after he fell into depression following a bet loss.
Mr Edgar said he got a call from his sister that Mr Martins committed suicide around 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
He explained that the investment banker had taken a bet against the dollar, a decision which caused him a devastating loss.
He joined Investment Banking & Trust Company Plc now Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc where he served in the Financial Control and Trade Finance/Foreign Operations units of the Bank before being seconded to Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Ltd where at various times he was Financial Controller, Head Asset Management and lastly Head Stockbroking.
He later resigned in 2005 to join Shell Nig. CPFA Ltd, the Fund Manager of the Shell Companies in Nigeria Pensions Scheme where he was Head, Investments up till 2008 when he resigned to join Nigeria International Security Limited, NISL, an independent financial services firm specialising in investments within the Nigerian space.