THE death on May 4 of Nigeria's foremost striker, Rashidi Yekini, struck his fans hollow. On the social networking site, facebook, many subscribers had announced the obituary of the lethal striker and so triggered sporadic enquiries across the world.

As usual, Nigerians home and abroad felt the most credible medium to ascertain the authenticity of the story was the sports desk of Tribune titles.

Apart from sharing spatial proximity with Yekini, Tribune sports crew lent a hand in lifting the gangly forward from the obscurity of UNTL FC of Kaduna to the stardom of legendary individual honour of being the first Nigerian to be named African Footballer of the Year in 1993.

Many Nigerians were not happy with the way football authorities neglected Yekini after his international retirement but those who were close to him realise, very sadly, how the famous player rebuffed all attempts made to recognise him as a shining ambassador of the beautiful game.

Many private interests and corporate outfits sought endorsement fruitlessly from Yekini to have the player as brand model.

The player was simply contented with living a recluse life, devoid of second-person influence.

The news on the demise of Rashidi Yekini was indeed a big challenge for the sports crew of Tribune who are condemned ''to be the first to know'' about Yekini.

The crew had written an extensive feature on the strange disposition to life of Yekini in 2010 but certain colleagues of his felt that the report was actionable because it did not portray the true situation.

Meanwhile, football authorities, following Tribunesports report, sought to wade in and rescue Yekini but either got the player's cold shoulder or were stealthily dribbled.

As fans kept calling, the agitation to know the true situation became a mixture of momentary madness and occasional composure among the crew.

As cold as Yekini appeared, he had his associates who could never get it wrong as far as his private affairs are concerned.

A particular friend of his who kept his company at the Olubadan Stadium told Tribunesports:''It is not true, you know I should be the first person to know if Rashidi is dead,'' he proudly said on Friday night around 8pm.

Another source who actually played with Yekini and one of the very few confidants of the late player was more audacious.

''I ve seen the report on facebook. Ignore it. Rashidi is very much alive, quote me. If such a thing happened, his family members would have told me.''

Another of his friend informed us that he actually saw Yekini hale and hearty a couple of days ago and that busy bodies had a way of misinforming the public on the medium of face book.

Riddles and puzzles. Uncertainties and suspense.

The sports crew deployed some of its men to Sabongari Area of Ibadan, Oyo State, where Yekini had his regular suya with his pals from the Northern part of the country as others were detailed to his abode in Ibadan.

His neighbours confirmed that truly, Yekini, was 'bundled' out of his home by family members with the motive of seeking a permanent therapy of ocassional disorder the player suffered in the closing days of his life.

''He is not dead, his people had taken him to find solution to his problems, those carrying the rumour must have been deceived by the atmosphere of his house and the circumstances of his departure for therapy.''

The concern of Nigerians about Yekini was massive. Professional colleagues, former players, sports administrators kept on ringing the sports desk.

Then, the crew put on its thinking cap and decided to call Yekini's family members in Offa and Ilorin in Kwara State. That was the breakthrough.

''If the news had been on facebook before noon as we were told, and Yekini being a muslim, whose burial must not be delayed, then by 9p.m, they would have known if it was true that he was actually dead, reasoned a member of the desk.

A cousin of Yekini and Kwara State's Commissioner for Information, Tunji Moronfoye, confirmed to us by 10.08 pm on that Yekini was actually dead.

One of the women in Yekini's life who actually bore him a child also confirmed that the goal-king was no more.

The dramatic aspect of his death is that Yekini breathed his last in Ibadan but none of those who dropped 'exclusives' had any idea of his condition.

Like he did on the pitch against his opponents, Yekini really beat the attention of his friends flatly as he departed the world.

Yekini played for 14 different clubs in Nigeria, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and in North Africa.

Itinerant Yekini played for United Nigeria Textile Limited, UNTL Kaduna, the Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Abiola Babes, Africa Sports of Abidjan, Vitoria Setubal of Portugal, Olympiakos of Greece and Sporting Gijon of Spain.

He returned to Setubal and also played for FC Zurich, Switzerland, AC Bizerte of Tunisia, Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia, and returned to Africa Sport.

In 2002, he returned home and joined Julius Berger and Gateway FC of Abeokuta.

After he quit football, Yekini avoided the spotlight and concentrated on grassroots football and personal training either at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Railway fields or Saint Luke's College, Molete Ibadan.

However, the poser that comes to mind is how could such a widely-travelled man lived an introverted life after retirement?

How was he able to relate with coaches and teammates to the extent that he left an impressive goal scoring record for each of the teams he starred for?

A man adored by fans worldwide and with many accolades suffering neurological conditions raises a question difficult to resolve.

Yekini lived an eventful life and made Nigerians happy with crucial goals in moments of critical importance. He is a stalwart of Nigeria's golden age of the early 90's. Today, he is the reference point in marksmanship and sharp shooting.