In a world already weighed down by chaos, few things offer pure, unfiltered joy like laughter, and Sanku, born Raji Samad Adetola, was one of the rare Nigerian skit makers who knew how to serve it without losing authenticity.
He didn’t need expensive cameras or celebrity cameos. All he needed was a good story, raw emotion, and that unmistakable Yoruba twist that made his skits feel like conversations with your own uncle or best friend.
But on a rainy Monday morning in September 2025, Nigeria woke up to a silence that cut deeper than any punchline ever could. News broke that Sanku, just 24 years old, had died in a tragic car accident, alongside a close friend.
Fans wept. Fellow comedians went numb. Some didn’t believe it. Others couldn’t process the bitter irony: a young man who just started tasting success, whose final video was a prayer about not dying before reaping the fruits of his labor, now gone.
It’s easy to mourn a death. It’s harder to understand a life.
This is not just another obituary. This is Sanku’s story, told through the lens of five little-known truths about the skit maker who lived fast, laughed hard, and left too soon, a boy from Ogbomoso who turned pain into punchlines, and fate into folklore.
1. He Was A Master Of The Streets Before He Became A Star
Before the likes, followers, and viral freestyles, Sanku was just Samad, a young man from Ogbomoso, Oyo State, who understood the art of observing people.
He didn’t attend elite film schools or rub shoulders with Nollywood royalty. His classroom was the streets. His textbooks? Real life.
Those who knew him say he could sit at a bus stop and spin a 2-minute skit idea just from overhearing a couple’s argument. His genius was subtle. He saw humor in pain, laughter in hardship, and poetry in the most unfiltered parts of Nigerian life.
He began his creative journey behind the scenes in 2021, scripting and shooting skits for others. But the fame? That didn’t come until 2024, when one of his off-the-cuff freestyle videos exploded with over 70,000 views overnight. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t flashy. But it was real and that made all the difference.
2. He Prophesied His Death — Twice
If tragedy had a voice, it would sound like the haunting TikTok Sanku posted days before his death.
In the now-viral video, he sat quietly and prayed: “When it is time for us to enjoy what we worked hard for, may we never lose our lives.”
At the time, many shrugged it off as just another skit intro. But now, it reads like a farewell letter disguised as content. A final bow. A coded goodbye.
Even more chilling? Just two weeks earlier, Sanku survived a serious car accident in the exact same Lexus SUV that would eventually claim his life.
He posted about the escape, laughing through it. The caption read: “This was us escaping accident 2 weeks ago.”
It’s almost as if fate tapped him on the shoulder, gave him a preview and then returned to collect.
3. How Sanku Died
On the night of September 1, 2025, Sanku and a group of friends were returning from a video shoot in Ilorin. They had just wrapped another comedy project, the kind of skit that could’ve pushed him to the next level. Maybe.
Fame was finally catching up to his talent. His Instagram was gaining traction. TikTok comments had gone from “funny guy” to “this boy go blow!”
But somewhere along the Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway, life took a brutal turn.
Their white Lexus SUV veered off the road, tumbling into a flood-filled canal. By the time help arrived, it was too late. Sanku and his close friend were rushed to Bowen University Teaching Hospital, where both were pronounced dead. The others in the vehicle reportedly didn’t make it either.
In a bitter twist, what was supposed to be the start of his breakthrough era became the final scene in a life cut short.
4. He Was the Skit Maker Who Refused to Sell Out
In an industry chasing trends and hashtags, Sanku was different. He wasn’t interested in clout or TikTok dances. He didn’t rely on vulgarity or fake drama to boost his content. His skits were clean, intelligent, and full of Yoruba flavor.
He had a way of saying the things people were afraid to admit; about poverty, love, Nigeria’s broken systems, but wrapping it all in humor.
That made him a favorite among both old and young. He wasn’t just “another skit maker.” He was a storyteller. A mirror. A voice.
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Some say that was why the mainstream never gave him his flowers while he was alive.
“See all these blogs posting him now. Where were they when he was alive and posting great content every day?”— A heartbroken fan tweeted.
5. His Death Sparked Conversations No One Wants to Have
In the aftermath of Sanku’s death, social media exploded with grief, but also anger. Why are so many young Nigerian creatives dying in avoidable tragedies? Why is it that every time someone starts rising from the trenches, tragedy follows?
Many fans drew comparisons to the recent death of fellow skit maker “Austin”, who also died young and full of promise.
Others raised eyebrows at the recurring theme of fatal car accidents, calling for proper mental health support, travel safety, and better infrastructure for young creators who are constantly on the move.
There’s a disturbing pattern — and Sanku’s death became a symbol of that uncomfortable truth. He wasn’t just a victim of a crash. He became a martyr for conversations the entertainment industry has avoided for too long.
A Laugh That Echoes
Raji Samad Adetola didn’t get a chance to walk the red carpet or win the big brand endorsements. But in the short time he had, he gave us something far more valuable; perspective.
He reminded us that talent doesn’t always come from Lagos mansions or influencer circles. Sometimes, it comes from the mud, shaped by pain, driven by hunger and sprinkled with just enough grace to make the world stop and listen.
His laughter, his skits, his prayers — they live on.
May his soul rest in peace. 🕊️
