By Abiola Olawale
Navy Captain Caleb Omoniyi Olubolade (retd), a former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State and erstwhile Minister of Special Duties has passed away at the age of 70.
Olubolade, the Ipoti-Ekiti-born retired naval officer died on Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Apapa, Lagos, after collapsing during a lawn tennis game, according to a statement issued by the deceased family.
According to the statement released by his older children, Oluwayemisi Akinadewo and Dayo Olubolade, Olubolade, who also served as the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, and Minister of Police Affairs, drove himself to a nearby neighboring lawn tennis facility in Apapa to play lawn tennis on Sunday evening.
While playing, he suddenly collapsed and slumped. Despite immediate and spirited efforts by medical officers at the scene to revive him, the situation reportedly proved difficult. Consequently, he was rushed to Obisesan Naval Medical Hospital, Apapa, Lagos where he was pronounced dead.
The statement reads in part: “He drove himself to the facility to play lawn tennis in the evening and slumped while playing. Efforts were made by medical officers around to revive him to no avail.
“He was immediately rushed to Obisesan Naval Medical Hospital, Apapa, where he was pronounced dead.”
The New Diplomat reports that Olubolade was born on 30 November 1954 at Ipoti-Ekiti in Ijero LGA of Ekiti State.
He was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy in 1974 and attended courses including the Britannia Royal Naval College, UK, in 1975 and the Naval College of Engineering, India, in 1979.
On 9 June 1997, he was appointed military administrator of the newly created Bayelsa State by the military government of General Sani Abacha.
Olubolade retired from the Nigerian Navy in 1999 at the start of the new democratic regime in 1999.
