Police plea for people not to set up own search parties for poet Gboyega Odubanjo missing after Shambala festival 

Police searching for Gboyega Odubanjo – a poet who went missing after Shambala festival – have urged the public not to set up their own search parties.

Odubanjo was reported missing over the weekend when he failed to turn up for his set at the festival. According to Northamptonshire Police, he was last seen in the county’s Kelmarsh area.

Aged 27, he is an award-winning poet, and was last seen sporting short black dreadlocks, a full-face beard and glasses, as well as wearing a beige/cream bucket hat, a red and white striped gilet with black long-sleeve clothing underneath, black trousers and dark-coloured shoes.

Police have searched the festival site and surrounding areas in hopes of finding Odubanjo, supported by various rescue teams, however have grown increasingly concerned for his wellbeing.

Now, the police have urged members of the public not to put their safety at risk by embarking on their own search parties, and instead contact the authorities if they have any information that may be helpful to the search.

“We are increasingly concerned about Gboyega, and are repeating our appeal for anyone with information that could help us to find him to get in touch immediately,” said Detective Inspector Nick Peters (via ITV News). “We know he attended the festival with friends, and became separated from them in the early hours of Saturday morning.”

“We appreciate the love and concern that is being shown for Gboyega, but would continue to ask that no one attempts to conduct their own search for him due to the risks posed by the nature of the terrain,” he added.

“I’d like to reassure people that we have a team of officers dedicated to following all lines of inquiry in order to find Gboyega, including investigating all reported sightings. We are liaising with his family and keeping them informed of our progress.”

Odubanjo is an editor at bath magg – “a magazine of new poetry” – as well as a Roundhouse Resident Artist, and a recipient of the 2021 Eric Gregory Award for his New Poets Prize Pamphlet Aunty Uncle Poems.

One of his pamphlets titled While I Yet Live, was published by Bad Betty Press in 2019. His 2021 poem Oil Music was also featured as poem of the month in The Guardian.

Police have urged him to contact friends or family if he sees this appeal and anyone with any information should contact the Northamptonshire Police Department on 101, quoting the reference MPD1/2619/23.