Laolu Martins Was Minority Shareholder of Bukka Hut—Management

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The management of an online restaurant in Nigeria, Bukka Hut, has clarified that one of its late directors, Mr Laolu Martins, was a minority shareholder in the company.

On Wednesday, it was reported that the deceased breathed his last in Lagos. He was said to have co-founded the firm with Mr Rasheed Jaiyeola, who is the Chief Executive Officer.

The deceased was reportedly invited to join the firm by Mr Jaiyeola, who jointly owns majority shares of the company with his wife and sister.

Mr Jaiyeola and Mr Martins were co-owners of the Nigerian International Securities Limited (NISL) before the former resigned from his position as director to focus on Bukka Hut in 2016.

According to the statement from the organisation, Mr Jaiyeola established Bukka Hut but only invited the deceased and two others to invest in the eatery when it was established.

“To clarify, Rasheed Jaiyeola is the founder/CEO of Bukka Hut, a proudly Nigerian brand he built from inception in August 2011 from one outlet to 24 outlets comprising of restaurants, lounges and suya and grill spots, and a learning facility, BH Academy, as at today. He jointly owns the majority shares of the company with his wife and sister.

“Bukka Hut is not a one-man business as there are two other shareholders/directors, but they are not involved in the daily management of the business.

“Rasheed and the late Olaolu Martins were co-owners of Nigerian International Securities Lid (NISL), and naturally, Laolu was one of the three people he invited to invest in Bukka Hut when he founded it in 2011; Rasheed resigned from NISL as a director in 2016 to focus solely on building Bukka Hut while Olaolu remained the MD/CEO of NISL and its related businesses,” the statement explained.

Mr Martins was reported to have died from suicide, but fresh information revealed that he slumped at Lenox Mall after a cardiac arrest and was taken to a hospital in Lekki, where he passed on.