Apostle Niyi Peter has explained why gospel artistes were absent at the burial of singer Bunmi Akinnanu, popularly known as Omije Ojumi.
He shared this in a post that began circulating online on Tuesday.
Mr Peter said that doctors had already told Omije Ojumi the day she would die, and she shared her wishes with close friends. “Omije told her friends and close associates that a befitting burial must be done for her which the whole world will see,” he said.
According to Apostle Peter, gospel artistes, including Alayo Melody, made preparations for the burial. “The coffin, cemetery, hall and over 100 T‑shirts were paid for. The family then involved the police and said they were not in support of what the artistes were doing,” he explained.
He added that the family even “arrested the lady that stayed with Omije at the hospital and were asking her for Omije’s phone. They didn’t want artistes to be involved in the burial arrangements and we couldn’t force ourselves on them.”
“We wanted to attend the burial but the family threatened to arrest us,” he said, urging people with terminal illnesses to plan their burials legally. “If you know you don’t have a good family and you have a terminal sickness, make sure you write down what you wish to be done for your burial, sign it and involve your lawyer. If possible, make a video which will be played after your demise.”
The burial, which took place at Atan Cemetery, Lagos, sparked controversy online over the absence of fellow gospel musicians. The family has said they chose to manage the burial independently after disagreements and denied claims that they requested money from artistes.
