Khalid Auta

Oyi, Continue to rest in peace. You are forever in our hearts !

Forever in our hearts, to never be forgotten. Continue to rest in my peace dear Khalid. <3

Khalid, May your soul and all the faithful departed continue to RIP.

Khalid,

I remember the first time I heard of you. It was back in 2007/2008, when I had left BIS. Ikenna would keep mentioning you and Sanu, the new friends who 'replaced' Babatunde and I. I used to wonder and be muttering under my breath, "Who are these guys?", while screwfacing. Little did I know then that you, Khalid, would become such a good friend, and a source of immeasurable joy.

You had this incredible knack for reaching out, always seeming to know when I was in the US even before I announced it. Our fleeting interactions in Lagos were nothing compared to the profound friendship we developed over the years.

The times spent with Oyihoma and Vanessa are etched in my memory. Each moment was filled with laughter and genuine happiness. And then there were the times with Nola - each gathering was a celebration of life and friendship.
I also cherished those car rides and phone call check-ins. We would talk for hours about life, our achievements, and our aspirations. You always had this amazing ability to make everyone around you feel special and valued. Your delight in your achievements was infectious, yet you always strived for more, inspiring me to do the same.

Seeing the pictures of your newborn daughter, I remember feeling a sense of awe at the beautiful life you were building. Your joy was palpable, and it filled me with happiness to see you embracing fatherhood with such love and enthusiasm.

Khalid, your passing leaves a void. Your smile, your laugh (fam, that laugh), the way you lit up a room - these are things I will miss, but I am eternally grateful for the memories we shared, for the laughter, the deep conversations, and the unwavering support.

As I reflect on the time we spent together, I realise how you taught me the value of friendship, the importance of living in the moment, and the power of a positive attitude. Your spirit was a beacon of light in a sometimes-dark world.
Though you are no longer with us, your legacy lives on. You touched so many lives, brought so much joy, and left us with memories that we will cherish forever. I am honored to have known you, to have called you a friend, and to have shared in the journey of your life.

You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten. Your spirit, your laughter (bro that laugh was contagious), and your love will always be with us. Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for being you.

Khalid. Oh Khalid.

I remember the first day we met.. Little did I know just how much I would grow to love you! My besto! My confidant! The sweet kind Khalid. Ever so loving, so generous and with a heart so pure. You lit up every room! Everyone loved you as soon as they met you. You always left a good impression. Your laugh, your positivity, your energy was infectious.

The hardest thing is knowing I will not see or speak to you again in this life. I will never hear you say BESTO in that soft voice, I will never call you A-U-T-A like I did in BIS. That I won't get the random pick-me-up and lifting messages, the random gifts, or the random surprise food deliveries...

Oh Khalid. The selfless Khalid. The loving Khalid. I love you! I loved you and I will always love you. I am so blessed to have experienced a life with you.

It took an instant to lose you but it will take an entire lifetime to grieve the loss of you and to forget you. You are truly unforgettable. I pray your soul rests in eternal peace. I love you, always will.

Oh My was what I first said. Khalid was very respectful, highly spirited and was always in a great mood. This stands out and would never be forgotten. May your soul rest with the Lord .

Khalid, to know you is to love you.

I am not surprised everyone keeps mentioning your big smile that lights up a room.

Although we did not get to spend a lot of time together, every moment spent will never be forgotten.

From our first meeting when you came to Nigeria and we visited the house (my mom, sisters and I) was it how you went around giving warm hugs, then also mentioned to my mom how you liked her head tie (Gele), your further description of it was hilarious and we burst into laughter.

The last we saw was when we all came together for Binta´s traditional wedding in Abuja. We went out to eat, gist and merry. Leaving the restaurant and waiting for our Uber you walked up to me, hugged me and said we are family and I love you. That was so beautiful a moment and I would cherish it forever. You spoke about your business so passionately.

You were caring to a fault and it was comfortable being around you because you gave that aura.

Your type is rare and it breaks my heart that it had to end like this and wouldn´t have thought in a thousand years that I would be penning this down so soon. But all I would love to remember you for is your bright smile and knowing that you are in a happy place.

You will be missed dearly, sleep well my brother.

Rest on Khalid.

Khaliiiiiid, such a light. Everytime I think of you I think of joy and laughter and I always will.You were calm but full of so many jokes. You had hilarious jokes. Thank you for always going out of your way for those you cared about. I won´t forget the beautiful memories we share. Rest well and in perfect peace my dear friend. Zay.

Khalid we met you for the first time in 2011 at Kaduna and you warmed up so easily to us like it's been ages you met us. The next few days we spent together revealed your amiable and humble personality. Even though we never met again after the meeting in Kaduna you always kept in touch.
It's hard to come to terms with the fact that you are no more. But we believe that you shall rest well in the bossom of the Lord
Adieu Khalid ! How can we forget your infectious smile which is your trademark? We shall always keep intact your memory the salt of our remembrance.
Oluwakemi & Ibrahim Auta

Man oh man I don´t even know where to start bro! I miss you so much bro! All the convos on those late night drives! All the things you taught me about driving, I have no words bro! You are the reason I am who I am today! I´ll miss the guidance the most. Always a level head that I could call at anytime and talk to about anything! Always trying to help even when you were down yourself. These past 10 years showed me that true friends still exist. I will forever cherish the interactions we had. I will forever have love for you bro. Fly high bro! Much love

You were a kind person and loved by all. May Allah grant you amongst the highest levels of Jannah and give patience to Mr Auta, Binta, and families.

Calm and quiet unassuming. May your soul find rest in the Lord. Rest in peace.

Although I didn´t have the opportunity to get to know you personally at BIS, I fondly remember you for having a bright smile and a calm, gentle aura. Praying that your family, friends and loved ones will find peace and comfort as they navigate this loss.

Although I didn´t have the opportunity to get to know you personally at BIS, I fondly remember you for having a bright smile and a calm, gentle aura. Praying that your family, friends and loved ones will find peace and comfort as they navigate this loss.

I will always remember Khalid´s laugh and his smile. He was a beautiful soul.

I remember how he showed up unannounced to my house once because he had a feeling I needed some company. We talked and laughed and gossiped so much that we didn´t realise that there was no electricity or food at my house that afternoon. He never made me feel bad about it.

I remember the times my mum and I would drive him to school and he would spend the entire ride play flirting with my mum. He had her giggling like a teenager. She always asks of him but now rather than "he´s doing well" I have to say "he is resting well".

Goodbye old friend. You will always be remembered lovingly in our hearts.

One thing that will never be forgotten is your bright smile and that laugh! Oh goodness, I think we spent majority of our BIS days laughing. Even in exams!! You were so caring and supportive - and a really thoughtful and deep soul. I think few people got to see that side of you. You will be missed dearly. Rest in perfect peace.

Khalid Auta my man, still very speechless on what to say with this news. You always had that a bright light style and just reminded us in many moments life could be that. Sad I never got see in this moment of adulthood but I cherish the time we spent together running around in Lagos and london, Just being free living hipsters. I´ll always remember your lightness and keep that with me. Rest in power

Khalid brought joy to our days with his jokes and positive energy. His special way of making us smile turned every moment into a cherished memory. Khalid's cheerful attitude made our time together at BIS even more enjoyable. We will dearly miss you, Khalid. May your kind and bright spirit now rest peacefully. Amen.

You were a beacon of light in my life leaving a mark of love and kindness. The first thing think about with Khalid was his infectious, bright smile. It was a smile that reached his eyes radiating warmth to everyone fortunate enough to be in his presence. Khalid you were compassionate, kind, caring and offered unwavering support. I knew I could always count on you, call you and you´d be there without hesitation no matter the distance. I love you best friend. Rest in eternal peace

Khalid, our ever so jolly fellow. Words fail me right now..I can remember your smile, laughter and ever so happy spirit! You knew how to always fill the room up with your joy. Our 2009 Prom King - Your absence will be deeply felt and you will live on in our hearts. Rest on dearest friend.

My dear friend Khalid,

Never in a million years did I think I will be writing you a tribute in 2024. What's crazy is that I am now getting used to writing tributes, but one is never prepared for just who you will be writing one for.

The news hit like a fast ball from a world class pitcher. You always had a way of springing up with headlining news. I remember when you came and announced you had a massive tattoo down the side of your abdomen, you were the first of us to do such. I also remember when you announced you were coming to Uni in England. It was so surprising as you were the token American in the group. So of course I definitely recall when you abruptly announced you were going back to America. In hindsight, what a brave guy you were. You were always able to make up your mind and do what you deemed necessary. But this one? We have questions.

Now is not the time to dwell on such, the fact is you are now no longer and that sucks. I'm very sorry I did not get in touch when I came to Atlanta. As a new dad settled in Chicago, I didn't think you'll have my time, now that will forever haunt me.

I can't believe we will not get to share one more together. I cannot believe I will not get to meet your daughter in your presence. I cannot believe you are now past tense. Bausy, Blaise, Kofo, Nola and I will always remember you. That one is sure. We will talk about you any chance we get. Best believe that!

Sun re oh my dear friend
Your boy Smizzle...

Bidemi Stan Bamgboye..

Khalid, a piece of my heart has gone to heaven with you. You were the funniest, most generous, most loving person I have ever met. You helped me become the person I am today, you saw so much more in me than I saw in myself and you were what kept going countless times when all I wanted to do was give up. You always have and have to the people in your life, without expecting a single thing back. Your presence was always so warm, comfortable and addictive. I am forever grateful God brought you into my life. You will always be my greatest love and my soul mate and I will love you forever.

Forever in my heart, I want you to know how much I love and miss you. Your "what's up, man" with that soft-spoken voice was a calming presence in my life. You stood as a pillar of support during my journey in a new country, our check-in calls and your patience listening to my rants about everyday life meant the world. Though our planned trip remains a dream, I promise to make it there in your memory. Rest easy, dear cousin. I love you.

Forever in my heart, I want you to know how much I love and miss you. Your "what's up, man" with that soft-spoken voice was a calming presence in my life. You stood as a pillar of support during my journey in a new country, our check-in calls and your patient listening to my rants about everyday life meant the world. Though our planned trip remains a dream, I promise to make it there in your memory. Rest easy, dear cousin. I love you.

I remember a lot of moments with you, physically and virtually, always encouraging and never discouraging. Your life was full of good times, because even bad times were filtered through smiles and laughs. It was unlike you to leave anyone feeling down. You could be the life of the party and equally showing love to the quiet people in the corners. You loved me abundantly, you held me through dark days, you earnestly told me truths about myself i was blind to, and loved me through my denial, realisation, acceptance and growth. You always ensured i knew whether i was up or down you were still the friend that would be there. Constant. Steadfast. Dependable. Loyal. You spoke to me about people in your life as if i knew them, and im sure you spoke about me to them like they knew me, showing how you were a bridge to many gaps of friendships across all continents. Your life was well lived and well spent. You laughed till you cried, you cried till you laughed. You ate the finest things and experienced deep meaningful relationships. 32 years was not in vain, i experienced 16 years with you and my gratitude is eternal. Thank you for always being loving and kind, especially to those who didnt deserve it. We may all have thought you were being too nice but that is clearly how love acts. You had no borders, no boundaries, no limits with your love. I pray your soul is resting peacefully. I pray your family gets comforted as time goes on. I pray the good memories are cherished. And i pray your baby girl grows up to know how much light her father was and how he was salt of the earth, making every environment taste better simply because of his presence. I miss your spirit and will always remember our abundant love as friends. You are truly irreplaceable Khalid. I can never forget you

All I think about when I remember you is your beautiful smile. Khalid literally smiled all through your time at BIS (no matter the situation). You were the life and soul of any party. You literally lit up a room. So many fond memories of you `The Cool Kid from America´. Khalid you will be deeply missed but I am grateful for the memories and glad you got to experience so much joy with the birth of your daughter and legacy. May your beautiful and bright soul Rest in Perfect Peace. Amen.

Thank you for being one of my first friends when I moved to Nigeria despite you getting us into trouble in maths and science class for always talking too much. Thank you for our random check ins over the years, I´ll miss this. I´ll still be sending you an invite to my wedding so you can attend a South African party! Oh, Im definitely saving you some Savannah too. Rest in peace my friend. I´ll never forget you.