Transition

Mrs Tolu Olakanpo (1967-2026): A Pictorial Tribute

Mrs Tolu Olakanpo, nee Somoye was an alumnae of University of Ilorin based in the United Kingdom.

The sad news of her transition 😢 came as a rude shock to her friends, school mates and other loved ones. This pictorial tribute is dedicated to her beautiful and loving soul.

At every opportunity, she joined her old university mates and friends at reunion programmes and whenever any of them is celebrating a milestone. Some of such occasions are captured in the pictures below.

Tolu standing 3rd from right in the front row with fellow alumni during their Reunion Cruise in Texas, USA in 2018

L-R: Oluseye Caucus, Dolapo & Tolu during the Reunion Cruise Dinner 

L-R: Foluso, Seye, Moni and Tolu on the Enchantment of the Seas cruising ship during Unilorin Alumni Reunion in 2018

Tolu, 1st left graced the 60th birthday thanksgiving ceremony of Seye Adetunmbi with her presence on July 21st, 2022 at St Botolph's Church, Northfleet, Kent, England.

L-R: Tolu, Oyinda, Ronke and Niyi, joined other Unilorin alumni during the diamond jubilee celebration of one of them

On April 18, 2026, Tolu passed-on in England and her body was laid to rest on May 19, 2026 at Willow Cemetery in Canvey Island.

Service of Songs at RCCG Royal Connections, London on 18/5/26

Her Unilorin fellow alumni and friends turned out in large numbers to pay their last respect for Tolu

Funeral Service at St Nicholas Church, Canvey Island on 19/5/26

Tolu had gone with all her virtues as a gentle lady, kind hearted person, friendly soul and a jolly good fellow. Everyone who knew her and associated closely with her missed her. 

May the gentle soul of Tolu rest in peace, amen.

DARE FALEGAN

With heavy heart we received the sad news of the transition of Dare Falegan. Dare was the first born of Baba, Chief S. B. Falegan and he was a product of Christ’s School.

Dare Falegan

Dare and Seye Adetunmbi during the burial service of Baba SB Falegan in 2021.

He passed on in England on 11/3/2026. May God console his aged mother, wife and children. 

PROF SEGUN AJIBOLA

Professor Segun Ajibola was an accomplished banker. He passed-on on March 15, 2026.

Ekitipanupo Forum is down by two! It is certainly a devastating blow on Ekiti intellectual community.

May God console the mourning families.

God giveth, He taketh.

Whether we live or die, we belong to God.

To everyone reading this, "a ku ara fe ara ku" while remembering that our lifetime is for a while. Life indeed is short. Heaven is home!

We surrender all to God, our creator 🙏🏾

BOLA BAMGBOYE 1960-2025

The Bamgboye family of Usi-Ekiti lost a dear family member, Bolamole Adegboyega Bamgboye on November 5, 2025 in the United Kingdom. He was born to the reputable family on July 13, 1960.

I met Bola Bamgboye in our teenage years through a mutual friend, Yomi Olorunfemi, in the 1970s during one of his short visits to Ekiti. The first encounter with his warmth, friendliness, and gentle generous smiles remain indelible in my mind. 

I naturally warmed up to Dola Bamgboye, his younger brother, when we met a few years after, and we had a very enduring good friendship until his transition.

Bola (right) with mum, Dola and Olumide 

Bola (l) and Dola with their nanny in 1965

I never thought that Bola would leave so soon. I was genuinely looking forward to a lasting reunion friendship and sharing many memorable moments together in the UK. Alas, he left us! Man proposes, God disposes. God giveth, He taketh. We surrender all to Jesus.

Bola flanked by siblings Gbemi and Dola, nephew and niece 

Jolly brothers, Dola & Bola

May God console his beloved son, Adeolu, his sister, Gbemi, our egbon, Olumide (Bobfay), and other loved ones left behind.

Bola and his beloved look-alike son

The funeral arrangements announced by the family have dates as follows:

Celebration of Life  

Date: Wednesday, 21st January  

Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm  

Venue: 93 London Road, West Croydon, CR0 2RF  

Location: West Croydon Methodist Church

Funeral Service  

Date: Thursday, 22nd January 2025  

Time: 1:30pm  

Venue: Kemnal Park Cemetery, A20 Sidcup Bypass, BR7 6RR

Sun re, Bola. 

May your gentle soul rest in peace. Amen

1

CHIEF DANIEL ADEDAYO OGBOJA (1930 - 2025)

A remarkably distinguished gentleman,  an outstanding teacher, an examplary educationist, a school administrator and principal of repute had gone home to rest.

Statement of the Ogboja family of Osi-Ekiti announced with total submission to the will of Almighty God the peaceful transition of their patriarch, Chief Daniel Adedayo Ogboja. He passed away on the evening of Friday, September 26, 2025, at the age of 95.

Chief Ogboja was born on February 24, 1930 to the highly cerebral Ogboja family of Osi-Ekiti. He graduated with a BA (Hons) in History from the University College, Ibadan, in 1961 and devoted his life to the education sector. He embarked on a distinguished teaching career marked with discipline, commitment, and excellence. Brilliance is in the gene of the Ogbojas. His younger brother was a professor of engineering at the University of Lagos.

The leadership qualities of Chief Dayo Ogboja shaped several prominent secondary schools, including Amoye Grammar School, Ikere; Ilesha Grammar School, Ilesha; Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife; and Ondo High School, Ondo. He left his mark in the sand of time as the Principal of All Saints Teachers' College, Usi-Ekiti where my father, Chief D. O. Adetunmbi worked with him as a head of department. Likewise, he stood out as a resourceful principal at Methodist Comprehensive High School, Aaye-Ekiti where he retired in 1986.

He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a respected community leader. A devout Christian who served as the Baba-Ijo of the Methodist Church, Osi Ekiti, a testament to his unwavering Christian faith.

In recognition of his exceptional contributions to education sector, the Ondo State Government honored him in 1980 as one of the first six "Special Principals." He retired honorably in 1986, leaving behind a legacy of hard work and excellence that inspired his past students and everyone who knew him or passed through his tutelage.

Chief Ogboja was a great patriot who served as one of the delegates to the 1978 Constitution Drafting Committee.

He is survived by his wife, Chief (Mrs.) Iyabode Dorcas Ogboja and his six children to the glory of God.

My condolences to Mrs Bimbo Odegbami, Seye Ogboja and their siblings on the transition of their beloved father. Thank God for the ripe age and that they all survived him. He was indeed a good man and a decent gentleman to the core. 

May his beautiful soul rest in peace, amen 

1A

PRINCE ADEBAYO ADEGOKE AGBEDE (1953-2024) 

FARE THEE WELL

A good man had left us to be with the Lord. 

Our loss is the gain of heaven.

O d'ígba, boda Bayo

Right Reverend Jide Adebayo delivered the Sermon

Christ's School old students were there in honour of the memory of a prized alumnus. The did the school song

Up School for Life!!!

CHIEF ADEPOJU AKOMOLAFE (1917-2022)

Chief Adepoju Akomolafe was a man of history, who recorded some firsts in a number of fronts. He was the 1^st graduate from Ido-Ekiti, the founding principal of Ekiti Parapo College in 1954 and served as the first Registrar of Ekiti Anglican Diocese from 1966 to 1979. Most significantly, the distinguished teacher and school principal marked 100 years’ birthday anniversary on April 5, 2017 in the land of the living to the glory of God. Thanks be to God almighty for the great things He has done. Baba did not just make it to 100 he was alive kicking when the maiden edition of my latest book, Abridged Biographies and Integrated Panegyrics was being concluded in January 2022 in which I wrote about him; he remained alert, recognized and remembered people generally and answered his phone calls at such very old age. Establishment of Ekiti Parapo College was an initiative of some of the early educated progressive Ekiti indigenes in Diaspora. In the search for the first principal for the school, Chief Adepoju Akomolafe was the most favored to be the pioneer principal of the new school. My father, Chief D. O. Adetunmbi was among the pioneer teachers of Ekiti Parapo College who worked with him in the early years of the school between 1954 and 1956. The “last of the Mohecans” took his final bow on 4/1/2022 and was survived by many successful children. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

Chief Ade Akomolafe with some of his students at Ekiti Parapo College, Ido-Ekiti in the 1960s

Chief Ade Akomolafe (2nd right) as the 1st Registrar of Ekiti Diocese, flanked L-R by Provost Famewo, Lawyer Folayan, Bishop Osanyin and Most Reverend Adetiloye. Back row L-R: Venerable Ogunlade, Venerable Awe and Olojudo Olayisade

Daddy Akoms

RT. REV. PETER AWELEWA ADEBIYI (1943-2022)
By
Seye Adetunmbi

The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion parades one of the best episcopal clergymen who are well read, characterised with strong advocacy for the interest of the masses and uniquely articulate in their calling and their responsibility to the larger society as the moral compass. One of the distinguished Lord Bishops who represented the face of the Anglican Church in the public space in their active years was Rt. Rev. P. A. Adebiyi PhD. Like his senior colleagues, Primate Adetiloye and Bishop Gbonigi, he spoke authoritatively on issues concerning the Body of Christ, expressed his mind on critical national issues and known for his unambiguous revolutionary thoughts as a bishop. After Ikeja Archdeaconry was created, he was collated as a venerable in 1990 at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja. In 1993, he was elected as a bishop and posted to the Diocese of Owo in Ondo State. In 1999, the Diocese of Lagos West was created by the College of Bishops under Primate Adetiloye and the Rt. Rev. Adebiyi was translated from Owo to become the first Lord Bishop of the diocese. His over four decades career as a priest was not without life threatening situations, thanks be to God for seeing him through. One of such was when armed robbers invaded his vicarage on November 16, 1987; they shot the gateman dead and moved in into his private quarters. The bandits targeted the church offerings, especially the N100,000 announced as donation to the church during the Sunday morning service. The money was not available for the robbers to steal, they shot him and fled. God kept the priest to survive the attack through His unfailing power.

Bishop Adebiyi was born on the 27th of April in 1943 into a Christian family in Osi-Ekiti, as the 3rd child in a polygamous home of 13 children. He completed primary school in 1956 and graduated from the Community Modern School in 1960. He worked as a pupil teacher at Saint Paul Primary School, Osi, his alma mater. He gained admission to the All Saints Teachers Training College, Usi-Ekiti in 1963. As a trained Grade II Teacher, he was posted to St Phillip’s Primary School, Aramoko-Ekiti where he met his beloved wife an indigene of the town, Princess Caroline Adefiola. He was also encouraged to become a priest by Rt. Rev. Joshua Oloniyo who was his vicar in Aramoko. He attended Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan in 1967 and graduated in 1970. He started his career as a deacon at Holy Trinity Church, Ilawe-Ekiti and in 1971, he was ordained by the Right Reverend Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye, the 2nd Bishop of the old Ekiti Diocese. He later became one of the chaplains of the Lord Bishop. He is a product of Obafemi Awolowo University where he obtained 1st degree in 1975, 2nd degree in 1981 and PhD in 1987.

The scholar priest became a Canon in 1983. He worked as the Chaplain and Vice-Principal of Babatope Memorial High School, Ikoro-Ekiti from1975 to 1983 and from1976 to 1980, he served as a member of the Board of Governors of Oganganmodu Grammar School, Ido-Ekiti. He was a lecturer at Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti between 1983 and 1987 and Lagos State University, Ojoo, between 1987 and 1990. He had published seminal essays and books to his credit which include The Ministry of Women in Ekiti land, Christian Missions in Ekiti land 1893 to 1973, The Planting of Christianity in Ekiti land: The Role of Ex-Slaves, Divine Messages for Special Seasons, History of Christianity in Ekiti land, Let the Nations Hear and co-authored 150 Years of Christianity in Nigeria and The Church Fathers with the Right Reverend (Dr.) Akin Omoyajowo. He served as the episcopal secretary to the Church of Nigeria in 1994 to 2005; as the National Patron of the Scripture Union of Nigeria in 2001 to 2007 and the National Patron of the Anglican Youth Fellowship of Nigeria from 2001 to 2007. 

He was the representative of the Church of Nigeria to the Conference of Anglican Provinces in Africa, chairman of the Church of Nigeria Inter-Anglican Global Relations and served as the chairman of the Diocese of Lagos West Election Monitoring Group accredited by INEC during the 2007 elections.

I first knew Bishop Adebiyi as a chaplain of Baba Adetiloye and naturally I looked up to him as my Bishop in the Diocese of Lagos West. His health challenges after his retirement in 2013 notwithstanding, his faith remained unshaken. Three of his children are priests while one of his daughters is married to a priest and his two brothers are venerable archdeacons. When I visited him after I heard about his ailment, I said that Adebiyi family is an inspiration for Christians because they remained faithful in Jesus Christ and were not deterred by troubles of life. May God continue to keep the family well and strong in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.

    My mind went to him in the first week of February in 2022 because it was long I checked on him. I woke up in the morning of Friday, February 11 in 2022 to read the message of reverend brother on my Whatsapp breaking the sad news of his transition. Thank God I was able to see him 3 days earlier on his bed, deep asleep on Tuesday, 7th of February in 2022 when I dropped copies of my books - Christianity and Anglicanism and the latest book, Abridged Biographies and Integrated Panegyrics in which I dedicated a chapter to write about him; for keeps in his library. The prelate and a remarkable bishop among his peers, has gone home to rest, where there is no pain anymore. Sleep well sir.