Astute academician and Emeritus Professor of Linguistics, Prof Ben Ohiomamhe Elugbe died on Thursday, 17th of July, 2025 in Enugu at 80.
Patmos Media learnt that Prof Elugbe who hails from Otuo in Owan East local government of Edo State died in a hospital facility in Enugu after a protracted illness that confined him to a wheelchair.
He had lost his first wife to the cold hands of death and his new wife, Josephine could not mutter strength to speak to our source.
A brilliant mind, Prof Elugbe obtained his PhD degree at 26 and had many scholarly works especially on the Pigin English and its phonyms. Pigin English thrives in Southern Nigeria and many West African countries.
The former Head of the Linguistics Department and Dean of Faculty of Arts of Nigeria’s Premier University, the University of Ibadan was working as the Director of the National Institute of Nigerian Linguistics in Enugu before his death.
Many of his students are now Professors including Prof. Mike Ighile formerly Chaplain of the Redeemed University and now of the Idahosa University, Benin who could not be reached as at press time. Prof Elugbe ran a Sports column with the defunct Sketch Newspapers, Ibadan when Ighile was the Features Editor of the Newspapers.
Prof Elugbe has been on the Advisory Board of the NLNG for many years; was a former President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters and former President of the West African Linguistics Society where he presided from 2004 to 2013.
An indigene of Otuo, Otuo Eyez wrote on his Facebook page on Friday “Prof Ben Elugbe has gone to join his ancestors. He is one of Otuo sons remaining in the education sector”.
The Chief Executive Officer of Patmos Media Line, Rev Eniola Olatunji said he was deviated when Prof Elugbe’s cousin, Dr. Mrs. Grace Oshun told him of the passage of the scholar while reporting the WAFCON quarterfinals between Nigeria and Zambia on Friday.
Said he: “Prof Elugbe was an adjutant Football Commentator with us at the Radio Nigeria, Ibadan outside Broadcast team that especially took many live football Commentaries from the Liberty now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium and the Olubadan Stadium, Iyaganku in the late 70s and 80s”
According to Rev Olatunji, “then Dr Ben Elugbe was the source of the synergy of the team of Commentators led by the late Tolu Fatoyinbo (Tolfat) and including Henry Akinsoyinu; late Dada Ogundele, himself as Yomi Kassim then and Sina Abimbola who later retired as the head of Sports for Radio Nigeria at the headquarters in Abuja”.
He said his sporting association with Prof Elugbe brought him to his father’s family, the late papa Michael Olatunji Kassim of Abadina as a family friend while the Prof resided both at Amina Way and Barth Road in the University of Ibadan campus.
Prof Ben Elugbe’s wife, Josephine said the family will very soon announce his burial rites but Patmos Media was hinted that his remains will be buried in his hometown of Otuo.
