Tears, tributes at service of songs for late Pastor Taiwo Odukoya
Tears flowed freely amidst avalanche of tributes as clerics, family, church members, friends and old schoolmates gathered on Friday to bid late Pastor Taiwo Odukoya final farewell.
And security was beefed up at the Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, Lagos as the funeral rites commenced with a service of songs and night of tributes.
Odukoya passed away on Tuesday, August 7, 2023, in the United States of America, at the age of 67.
He is survived by five children, and six grand-children.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Fountain of Life Church founder, Pastor Odukoya, is dead
At the service of songs, ocean of tributes, tears flowed freely from clerics, colleagues, mentees who praised the clergyman for the roles he performed in various lives.
His former classmates from St. Paul’s College (now known as Kufena College, Wusasa) Zaria, paid glowing tributes to Odukoya.
Mr. Ade Ogunaike who led Odukoya’s classmates said: “Death leaves a heart ache, so hard to forget. We’ve so much to be thankful for on his behalf. We consider the numerous investments he has made in the lives of many people.”
TheNiche had reported on August 12 that the remains of the late founder of the Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, will be interred on Saturday, September 9.
That was according to the funeral arrangements announced by the Church.
Sharing an e-flier of the funeral arrangement on its Facebook page, the church announced that the funeral events will hold on Friday, September 8, and Saturday, September 9, 2023.
It said a service of songs will hold in Odukoya’s honour on Friday, September 8.
The funeral service will hold on Saturday, September 9.
Both events would take place at the church headquarters located at the Ilupeju area of Lagos State.
On Sunday, a thanksgiving service will be held at the church to signal the end of the funeral.
Dignitaries including Dolapo, the wife of the immediate past Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo; Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, Rev. Sam Adeyemi, Peterson Okopi, among others were in attendance at the service of songs.
There was heavy security presence at the church premises Friday evening.
The preacher’s death comes less than two years after his 47-year-old South African wife, Nomthi Odukoya, died in November 2021 after a two-year battle with cancer.
They were married for 11 years and had two children.
He married Nomthi after his first wife Bimbo died in the ill-fated Sosoliso plane crash in 2005.
His union with Bimbo produced three children, including Jimmy — the star of Netflix’s ‘Woman King’ movie.
In December 2021, the pastor also lost his twin sister, Kehinde Hassan, from cancer complications.
