Gboyega Odubanjo: Family of poet missing after Shambala Festival 'desperate' for help

Mr Odubanjo was last seen at about 04:00 BST at the festival in Kelmarsh, which is about 10 miles west of Kettering, just off the A14

Friends and family of an award-winning poet who went missing at a rural music festival are "haunted" by his disappearance.

Gboyega Odubanjo was last seen at the Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire, at about 04:00 BST on Saturday.

The 27-year-old, from Bromley in south London, had been due to perform at the event in Kelmarsh on Sunday, but did not turn up for his set.

His godmother Antonia Onigbode said it is "out of character" for him.

Ms Onigbode said Mr Odubanjo's mother tried to call him on Saturday to check arrangements to meet on Monday for his father's birthday but could not reach him.

She later had to tell his parents he was missing which she said was "devastating".

"It was a rude shock to entire family," she added.

'Desperate'

She said: "It feels like a dream to me. It's out of character, Gboyega is an exceptionally gifted person, a responsible uncle. He has a bright future ahead of him.

"Going away or not coming back home is definitely not something anyone expected."

His friend Tee-Cher Chin, who has helped organise a campaign to find him, said: "I think we all feel haunted. It is just so unexpected and out of character and we feel so desperate for help.

"We just need to bring him home so we can all be with him.

"It's completely shocking, he likes to keep everyone in the loop about what he's doing. Normally he rings his mum everyday," she added.

Northamptonshire Police issued a photo of Gboyega Odubanjo at the Shambala Festival, where he was last seen at 04:00 BST on Saturday

Northamptonshire Police said Mr Odubanjo is 5ft 6in (168cm) tall, with short, black dreadlocks and a full-face beard.

He was last seen wearing a beige bucket hat, a red and white striped gilet with black clothing underneath, black trousers and dark coloured shoes.

Mr Odubanjo's pamphlet, Aunty Uncle Poems, was a winner of the Poetry Business New Poets prize in 2020.

Currently studying a PhD in creative writing at the University of Hertfordshire, he was also the recipient of an Eric Gregory award from the Society of Authors and a Michael Marks pamphlet award.

Shambala, which takes place at Kelmarsh Hall west of Kettering, hosts poetry performances as well as those by musicians, comedians and speakers.