Headline

Controversies Surrounding Death, Burial of High Chief Olu Benson Lulu Briggs

Published

5 years ago

March 19, 2021

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

It was a huge sigh of relief when on Saturday, March 13, 2021, the remains of late Ijaw traditional ruler, philanthropist and businessman, High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, were finally committed to mother earth. The body of the deceased had remained in the mortuary since December 27, 2018 when he dropped dead shortly after arriving Accra, Ghana, for a month long vacation with a retinue of family members and staff, his wife of over two decades, Seinye Lulu Briggs, inclusive.

There are personalities whose remains have caused a lot of stir among family members; remaining in the custody of mortuary attendants for months and sometimes years, but Lulu Briggs unwarranted incarceration in the Accra morgue, was one case too many. The beef was centred on the widow, Seinye and the deceased children, led by one of his sons, Dumo Lulu Briggs.

While Dumo alleged that the widow had a hand in the death of his father, and therefore, has a case to answer, the widow, on her part felt she had been wrongly accused, and as a result, must prove her innocence. Consequently, both parties, each with a retinue of supporters drawn from various quarters including the business environment, traditional class, media and more, were locked in a battle of wits, which culminated in the 27 months stay of the body of the deceased in the mortuary.

Recall that in November 2017, Lulu Briggs escaped an assassination attempt at his hometown, Abonnema, in Akuku-Toru Local Council of Rivers State while on a peace and reconciliation meeting between chiefs, opinion leaders and elders of the area, in respect of the crisis rocking the position of the chairman of the council of chiefs.

He had just taken over from Chief Disrael Gbobo Bob-Manuel as Acting Chairman of the Council a week earlier.

Many however, are of the opinion that the major crux of the matter is nested on who lays his hands on the magnificent and sprawling estates of the deceased much more than proving that the billionaire businessman did not die of natural causes, and so the fierce debacle, springing up intrigues, accusations, counter accusations and elongated legal processes. In all these, the body of a man, who was said to be averse to long depositing of corpses in the mortuary, laid dejectedly in cold preservation, waiting for the warring factions to sheath their swords. But that was not to happen very soon.

The first sign of controversy regarding the death and burial of Lulu Briggs arose shortly after the sudden death on arrival to Accra, Ghana.

Seinye narrated as follows:

“On the 27th of December 2018, my beloved husband, High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs passed on to glory shortly after our arrival at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana. We traveled on a chartered flight with family, friends and some members of our staff. As soon as we alighted from the flight and the captain and crew bade us farewell, my husband’s nurse asked for an ambulance when she noticed his pulse had dropped. The ambulance took him to the medical center at the airport where a doctor informed us that my husband had passed on. You cannot imagine how shocked we all were.

“Somehow, I managed to notify my husband’s son and eldest daughter Dumo and Solate. They arrived with their siblings on the evening of 28th December and on 29th December, as a family we all visited the mortuary where my husband’s body was eventually on the morning of 28th of December. Thereafter, Senibo and Dumo, his two elder sons, started making arrangements for a casket that would be used to bring back his body to Nigeria.

“While we were preparing for the burial, Senibo – my husband’s eldest son- informed us that he was not ready, and the initial burial date was canceled due to closeness of elections. After several family meetings we agreed on another date, which was 6th of April 2019. But that too was canceled.”

The cancellation of the second date, The Boss was told, was not unconnected with major discoveries in between. Within the period between December 2018 and when the next burial date was programmed, it was revealed that the content of the deceased’s Will had been made public, and therefore, warranted accusations, and need to respond to the arising accusations. Everyone wanted a huge piece of the cake, and they all went about it the best way the deemed fit. “Otherwise, why would a family keep their dead benefactor in the mortuary for that long. It’s all about a selfish interest,” a respondent told The Boss.

Dumo, being the eldest son of the deceased, was not ready to let the death of his father go uninvestigated, especially having suspected foul play. He therefore, instituted a judicial process to stop the burial until a verifiable autopsy has been conducted. He further stated that his father did not die of natural causes, rather was murdered, pointing accusing fingers at his stepmother, Seinye.

The court had therefore, ordered an autopsy, with representatives of all the feuding parties present. This was embarked upon based on a police report, acting on a petition by the three eldest of the deceased’s seven children, which claimed among others, that “the children suggest that the deceased died a violent or unnatural death or has died a death of which the cause is unknown at present.”

At the end of the day, the Pathology laboratory of the ISO-certified 37 Military Hospital in Ghana, conducted the postmortem on July 19, 2019.

According to the result which was released following the orders of the Supreme Court of Ghana, the deceased reportedly did not die a violent death, ruling out insinuations by some of his relatives that he was murdered.

The cause of death of the High Chief as stated in his autopsy report was “right lung infarction and severe haemorrhages in both lungs due to or as a consequence of pulmonary thromboembolism, the most likely source is inferior vena cava, site of filter.”

Other significant conditions contributing to the death of the statesman, who was steadily climbing to his 89th birthday, according to the report, were “congestive cardiac failure, hypertensive heart and kidney disease.”

More significant pathological findings contained in the report included Hypertensive heart disease, complicated atherosclerosis of aorta and major vessels, right lung infarction with severe haemorrhages, chronic congestion of the liver, hypertensive nephropathy and many other debilitating pathologies.

The autopsy report was signed by both Dr Seth Attoh, the officer-in-charge of Pathology Division of 37 Military Hospital in Ghana and Dr Lawrence Edusei, the Specialist Pathologist of the same hospital.

The release of the autopsy report after months of litigations made some fundamental proofs including that the deceased businessman died of natural causes, and can now be buried, and that Seinye was innocent.

The road was therefore paved for a befitting burial and the preservation of his glowing legacies, but more hitches unceremoniously cropped up to ridicule the January 25, 2020 date later agreed upon by the family for the burial.

Before then, a flurry of activities were on to reconcile warring family members, even as Rivers Government showed interest in early resolution of the matter. There was every indication that a consensus might be reached soon on contentious issues for the burial to hold.

On December 23, 2019, a Ghanaian High Court- had imposed preconditions for the release of the body by the Ghanaian Police and Mortuary for onward transfer to Nigeria for burial. These preconditions, which according to Seinye Lulu Briggs were not difficult, were:

“That the delegation led by Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs that will convey the body of the deceased to Nigeria, should include two representatives of the Plaintiff/Widow, who should be part of the delegation that will convey the body to Nigeria;

”That the family of the deceased, led by Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, will give a binding unconditional undertaking that, under no circumstance will the family allow or suffer the Plaintiff/Widow to undergo any cruel, inhumane or barbaric customary practices in Nigeria, when the body is conveyed;

“That the family, led by Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, will further undertake that the Plaintiff/Widow will be ably represented in the burial and funeral preparations, and will be allowed to play her role as a widow mourning her deceased husband.”

While the court went further to order the filing of the report of the autopsy done on the deceased, the release of the filed autopsy report was blocked by an appeal by Dumo Lulu-Briggs. His reasons were not known but imagined. Some said not to allow the public know that High Chief Lulu-Briggs died of natural causes.

It was reported that in blocking the release of the filed autopsy report, Dumo made more accusations, one of which was that his father’s widow had buried the High Chief in March 2019. This was many months after the autopsy was authorised, conducted, released and verified. the accusation raised many questions of how, when and where.

On September 6, 2019, Dumo Lulu-Briggs secured an order from the Magistrate Court in Accra, Ghana to carry out an inquest and a second autopsy on his father’s body. This was countered by Seinye, who vehemently refused with an appeal at a higher court thereby stopping the release of the corpse for a second autopsy.

Giving her reasons for stopping the second inquest and autopsy, Seinye’s spokesperson, Oraye St. Franklyn, said:

“Dr (Mrs) Seinye O. B. Lulu-Briggs repeats that her appeal was made because Dumo without fulfilling any of the three pre-conditions imposed on him by the Court Judgement had gone to the mortuary to pick up the body of her husband in the company of her supposed nominated representatives none of whom she knew, authorized or whose identities she could verify. She views that action as desperation taken too far and part of a sinister plot to obtain the body of her husband in order to wickedly tear it open yet again in the guise of conducting a private autopsy; a sinister autopsy that would fabricate false evidence supporting Dumo’s contrived allegation of her killing her 88 year old husband whom she cared for and loved for more than 2 decades.”

On December 27, 2019, Dumo’s lawyers went back to court to seek clarification of the preconditions before the remains could be released. A mild drama occur on the day in the courtroom as Seinye’s lawyers claimed that the matter will not be heard as it lacked merit. They said Dumo only wanted to further delay the burial of the late businessman. The court however, insisted that the matter would be heard, but went ahead to throw it out.

The Judge said: “I have been invited to clarify my order of the 23rd of December 2019. My order is self-explanatory and need no other clarification.

“I should not appear to be shifting the goal post so as to prejudice the appeal and the applications pending at the Supreme Court. Finding no need for the clarification, I dismiss the application.”

Much as Dumo and the family chiefs went ahead to unilaterally cancel the January 25 burial date, Seinye was optimistic it would hold, believing that the preconditions given to Lulu Briggs children were not difficult to meet.

While Dumo Briggs was withholding the release of the filed autopsy reports, Seinye was withholding the release of remains of the High Chief by her appeal at the High Court of Ghana. She maintained that unless Dumo release the autopsy report and fulfill the preconditions laid down by the court, she would not withdraw her appeal. The stalemate persisted. She maintained that till date none of the pathologists that represented all the parties (herself, Dumo, Police etc) had queried the outcome of the autopsy, and wondered why the report is held in secrecy. One of Dumo’s representatives was President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Adedayo Faduyile.

In the midst of the apparent disagreements, Seinye alleged through her spokesperson that Dumo’s intention was to falsify a report, which might help him to alter her husband’s last will and testament.

“Dr (Mrs) Seinye O. B. Lulu-Briggs is of the firm belief that the reason Dumo is desperately clamouring for his private autopsy is to manipulate the outcome in order to procure a false report to use as the compelling tool in forcing her to set aside her husband’s last wishes as contained in his Last Will and Testament. Dr Mrs Seinye O. B. Lulu-Briggs states clearly that she maintains both her innocence and unpreparedness to set aside her husband’s last wishes as contained in his Last Will and Testament,” he said.

As matters deteriorate, the Amanayabo of Kalabari, King Theophilus J.T. Princewill, Amachree XI, waded in with a committee to help resolve this matter without further delay.

While the king tried to find a solution, two institutions; the Chiefs from Oruwari Briggs compound in Abonnema and the Abonnema chiefs were fighting dirty on the same issue. Seven chief from the Oruwari Briggs compound had placed an advert on national dailies, declaring the dead High Chief missing. The Abonnema Chiefs acted swiftly, placing a counter advertisement.

These controversies and litigations that trailed his demise, including legal tussles in Nigerian and Ghanaian Courts where he truly, finally came to a conclusive end, and the body was finally released and brought back to Nigeria on March 16, 2020. This was the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic and subsequent restrictions by the federal and state governments as regards funerals and large gatherings further dragged the final burial rites to a later date.

Speaking to the press in January at Abonnema on behalf of the Oruwari Briggs House, Ibim Dokubo, a lawyer, stated as follows: “It is our pleasure at this point to break the news that the late High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, OON, DCF, DSSRS, the Iniikeiroari V of Kalabari Kingdom and Paramount Head of Oruwari Briggs House of Abonnema will be committed to mother Earth on Saturday, March 13, 2021.

“The major reason we could not plan the burial ceremony was because for more than fifteen months we could not take custody of the mortal remains of High Chief O.B. Lulu- Briggs because of the series of Court cases that denied the family from taking custody of the body. The controversy (that) surrounded the demise of our Paramount Head was widely reported in the media.

“Even when on December 23, 2019, a High Court in Ghana ruled that the body of the monarch be released to the family led by Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, the matter was appealed up to the Supreme Court before the body was finally brought on March 16, 2020 into the waiting arms of the prevailing Covid restrictions.

“The overwhelming view was we needed to wait for the relaxation of the COVID-19 restrictions because High Chief O.B. Lulu-Briggs was a man of many parts, who had positively touched many lives.

“He was a public servant, a labour leader, a politician, a businessman, a philanthropist par excellence and a very High Chief. It would therefore be a gross disservice to his memory to deny his legion of friends and associates the opportunity to honour him at his funeral.”

On March 13, 2021 therefore, the entire family came together, set up a broad-based burial committee and gave the patriarch the honour that he very well deserves.

All is well that ends well, according to William Shakespeare, and swords are sheathed today, paving the way for the grand funeral that was accorded the Abonnema High Chief in his hometown.

Contrary to beliefs, there were no disturbing incidents as the who in who in Ijaw kingdom and their friends were on ground to bid the great philanthropist farewell in dignity, panache and pomp.

High Chief O. B. Lulu Briggs was the founder of Moni Pulo Limited, and a prominent traditional influence in the affairs of Abonnema Kingdom of Rivers State. In 2012, he was named number 31 among the 40 richest men in Africa by Forbes.

His company has oil blocks in Ondo, Abia and Akwa-Ibom states. Its flagship project, OML 114, produces 10,000 barrels per day. Along with his wife, he funds the O.B Lulu Briggs Foundation, which provides humanitarian services to rural communities.

Opuda, as he was fondly called while growing up, was a man of many parts who rose from a humble beginning to become a great force in the business world, creating impacts and affecting humanity positively.

He had his primary education in Abonnema before moving to Calabar and Jos. Most of his learnings were privately sought before he left for the United Kingdom for advanced studies. This strong will to succeed marked him out and elevated him even among his contemporaries.

His first career experience as a clerk with the Mandilas and Karabaris. He later proved his mettle and showed signs of greatness when he joined the Nigerian Ports Authority in 1955, rising to the position of Principal Industrial Relations Officer. He served as secretary of NPA’s workers’ Union for seven years and chairman of the Maritime Trade Union Federation, Eastern Port from 1968-1971.

He was never found wanting in any of his positions, but wrote his name in gold through achievements that have remained unequalled.

Headline

Senate Passes Electoral Bill 2026, Rejects Real-time Electronic Transmission of Results

Published

10 hours ago

February 5, 2026

Eric

The Senate, yesterday, passed the Electoral Bill 2026 following hours of robust debate. But it rejected a proposal to mandate real-time electronic transmission of election results while approving significant reforms to election timelines, penalties for electoral offences and voting technology.

At the centre of the controversy was Section 60, which governs the transmission of polling unit results. Senators voted down a recommendation by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters that would have compelled presiding officers to upload results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time.

Instead, lawmakers retained the approach in the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows electronic transmission after votes are counted and publicly announced at the polling unit.

Relatedly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which concluded work on the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election, is unable to release it due to ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act by the National Assembly.

It also identified the inclusion of deceased persons on the voters’ register, prompting plans for a nationwide verification exercise.

On its part, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) raised the alarm over the National Assembly’s delay in passing the Electoral Act amendments, warning that the situation could expose political parties to technical and legal pitfalls ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Under the retained provisions, presiding officers are required to: count votes at the polling unit, record results on prescribed forms, announce them publicly and transmit them electronically to the appropriate collation centre.

Copies must also be provided to polling agents and security personnel where available. Violators face fines of up to N500,000 or a minimum of six months’ imprisonment.

Senators opposing the real-time upload argued that inconsistent network coverage and logistical challenges could trigger legal disputes and undermine electoral credibility.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Adeyemi Adaramodu, described the debate as largely semantic.

“Electronic transmission remains part of the law,” he said, “and results will continue to be available to the public both electronically and through physical forms, ensuring verifiable records for disputes.”

Beyond the transmission debate, the Senate approved far-reaching amendments to Nigeria’s electoral calendar. The election notice period was reduced from 360 days to 180 days, the deadline for submission of party candidate lists was shortened from 120 to 90 days, and the nomination period was cut from 180 to 90 days.

To deter electoral malpractice, the fine for unlawful possession of voters’ cards was increased from N500,000 to N5 million, though the Senate rejected a proposal for a 10-year ban on vote-buyers, opting for stiffer financial penalties instead. The smart card reader was officially removed from the electoral framework and replaced with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, noted the delay yesterday in Abuja at INEC’s first quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

The e-transmission of results, if approved, would have required INEC presiding officers to upload results from each polling unit to the IReV portal in real time, immediately after completing Form EC&A, which must be signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by party agents.
Instead, the senators chose to retain the present Electoral Act provision, which mandates that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

The rejected proposal was contained in the new Clause 60(5) of the draft bill, which aimed to mandate presiding officers to electronically transmit polling unit results in real time after completing and signing Form EC8A.

The clause was designed to strengthen transparency and reduce electoral malpractice through technology-driven result management.

The motion to reject the electronic transmission clause was swiftly seconded by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin.

Similarly, the Senate also rejected a proposed amendment under Clause 47 that would have allowed voters to present electronically-generated voter identification, including a downloadable voter card with a unique Quick Response (QR) code, as a valid means of accreditation.

The Senate further upheld the provision mandating the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) or any other technological device prescribed by INEC for voter verification and authentication, rather than allowing alternative digital identification methods as proposed in the new bill.

With these decisions, the Senate reaffirmed the use of PVC and BVAS-based accreditation while rejecting efforts to expand digital voter identification and make electronic transmission of results compulsory.

The Guardian

Headline

Wike Remains Undisputed Rivers APC, PDP Leader, Tinubu Rules

Published

2 days ago

February 3, 2026

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has, again, intervened to halt the escalating feud between Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor and estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike.

The peace deal came after months of failed settlements that had pushed the state to the brink of governorship impeachment, legislative paralysis, and prolonged instability.

The president had previously intervened in the rift between Fubara and Wike in December 2023, when he brokered a fragile peace, which broke down soon after, leading the declaration of a six-month emergency rule in the state on March 18, 2025 by Tinubu and suspension of the governor.

However, in the fresh push to defuse one of the country’s most combustible political disagreements in recent times, Tinubu ordered an immediate suspension of any impeachment moves against Fubara, but with very strict conditions.

Multiple highly placed sources familiar with the issue told THISDAY that Tinubu, who acted just before departing for an official trip to Türkiye on January 26, laid down the political terms aimed at restoring peace between the two key political actors in Rivers State, a state seen as critical to the president’s re-election in 2027.

Tinubu’s intervention came with a blunt message to Fubara: Wike remains the undisputed political leader of the party, whether APC or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, and he must be respected in that regard.

THISDAY was told that the president, visibly displeased by the depth of the rift, despite his efforts in the past, warned that continued hostilities would undermine governance in the state and lead to instability, a situation Tinubu said he was not ready to condone.

Tinubu was said to have clearly told Wike to back off any impeachment plots against Fubara and allow governance in the state.

Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, have had a cat and mouse relationship just within months of the governor’s swearing into office in May 2023. What is now out in the open is that Wike, who personally engineered Fubara’semergence as his successor, has sought to control the levers of power from Abuja, while the governor has resisted what many see as the FCT minister’s chokehold on him.

The relationship began to fracture within months of Fubara’s inauguration, as the governor quietly sought to assert his independence, with political actors in the state immediately taking sides. Notably, in the ongoing fight, almost all the state lawmakers align with Wike.

Subsequently, attempts to impeach Fubara emerged from the pro-Wike group in the House of Assembly. Although the governor has tried to wriggle out of the situation several times, the shadows of impeachment continue to haunt him every time there is a disagreement with the minister.

Several efforts have been made to resolve the crisis, all of which failed to produce lasting peace. The failure of one of the peace meetings eventually led to the declaration of a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, which lasted six months.

While Wike’s camp continues to accuse Fubara of betrayal and political ingratitude, the governor’s allies argue that Rivers State cannot be run from outside the state by a former governor now serving as the FCT minister.

Still on the latest attempt to seek an end to the prolonged imbroglio, one insider recounted the president’s thinking, drawing a parallel with Lagos State, where Sanwo-Olu is the leader of the party.

Tinubu was said to have stated, “Is Babajide Sanwo-Olu my leader in Lagos, or was Babatunde Fashola my leader when he was governor?”, according to a source.

The president was equally said to have stated that Fubara should respect elders, saying Wike is an elder statesman in Rivers politics and should be regarded as such. Tinubu, one of the sources added, made it clear that political seniority could not be wished away because of personal disagreements.

As part of the peace deal, the president directed Wike and his camp to immediately halt all impeachment-related actions against Fubara, citing his overriding concern about stability in Rivers State.

In return, Fubara was instructed to make significant concessions. Chief among them was the formal recognition of Wike as the “political leader” in Rivers State, with final authority on party matters.

Sources said Tinubu stressed that all internal party disputes in the state must ultimately defer to Wike.

However, the complexity of Wike’s case is that he is not a card-carrying member of APC in Rivers State. Officially, he remains a member of the struggling opposition PDP, although he is a top minister under the ruling APC government – A position he has used to weaken his party, the PDP.

Besides, the understanding covered the upcoming state House of Assembly bye-elections in Rivers State. Tinubu directed that candidates loyal to Wike should be recognised by the APC leadership for the two vacant assembly seats. “It was explicitly stated that Wike has two candidates for the by-elections and that those candidates are to be recognised by the APC party structure,” one source said.

Already, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 21, 2026 for the contentious by-elections into Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of the state.

THISDAY learnt that while the Ahoada-East II seat became vacant following the resignation of its former occupant, Edison Ehie, who was appointed Chief of Staff (CoS) to Governor Fubara, the Khana II seat was vacant since the death of its lawmaker, Dinebari Loolo, in September 2023.

Notably, the sensitive issue of Fubara’s second term ambition also came up for deliberation, the source said, but was deliberately side-lined, with the president alleged to have said such discussions were too early for now. One source said Tinubu described any talk about the 2027 governorship in the state as still premature.

ThisDay/Arise News

Headline

Otunba Adekunle Ojora: Farewell to a Good Man

Published

4 days ago

February 1, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The curtain dropped on the elitist life of prominent Lagosian, traditional custodian, boardroom guru, refined journalist and elaborate philanthropist, Otunba Adekunle Ojora, on January 28, 2026, bringing to an over nine decades of spreading good tidings, prosperity, unity and humanity. He was 93 years.

His death was announced via a statement by his daughter, Mrs Toyin Ojora-Saraki, on behalf of the Ojora Family, saying he died early in the morning in full submission to the will of Almighty Allah (SWT)

“With total submission to the will of Almighty Allah (SWT), the Ojora family of Lagos hereby announces the passing of our beloved patriarch, Otunba Adekunle Ojora, the Otunba of Lagos and Lisa of Ife, who returned to his creator early this morning.

“We say Alhamdulilahi for a life well lived, and we comply with Allah’s words: ‘Surely, to Allah we belong, and to Him we will all return’ (Q2:156),” the statement reads.

A distinguished businessman, people-oriented-person, the Olori Omo Oba of Lagos and the Lisa of Ife, Adekunle Ojora’s passing came with a much ancipated heartbreak, wailings and regrets, among his hugely extended family members, circle of friends, mentees, colleagues in and across business and traditional terrain, associates and the well impacted general public.

With the announcement of his death came the heavy traffic of personalities, dignitaries and nobles to his Ikoyi palatial home, where his adorable wife, Ojuolape Ojora, and one of his distinguished daughters, Mrs Toyin Saraki, who is the wife of the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, played significant hosts.

President Bola Tinubu was one of the first mourners with a statement signed by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, acknowledging the dimunitive personality of the deceased, noting how he had affected humanity in a positive light.

Tinubu commiserated with the government and people of Lagos State, as well as the Ojora and Adele royal families.

“The passing of Otunba Ojora is a significant loss to the country, the private and public sectors, and traditional institutions,” the President said, describing the late industrialist as a man whose life was defined by humility, perseverance, hard work and generosity. He further noted that his values shaped his long and distinguished career.

“He remained a towering figure whose counsel and experience benefited institutions at both national and subnational levels,” Tinubu added.

In his condolence message, former President Olusegun Obasanjo described Ojora’s death as painful, saying his absence would be difficult to fill, according to a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi.

The ex-president described Ojora as “an amiable and distinguished Nigerian who, during his lifetime, built a remarkable legacy of integrity, wisdom, and unwavering dedication.”

“By his death, the country has lost a notable captain of industry and commerce, but there is no doubt that his memory lingers on through his many landmark contributions to the development of the South-West zone in particular, and the country in general,” Obasanjo added.

He also stated that “He was a remarkable entrepreneur whose vision, determination, and resilience added value to the community and to hundreds of families who depended on his commercial activities. He was a role model and exemplar whose personal life and achievements inspired a generation of entrepreneurs, industrialists, and merchants. Over the years, with his wise counsel, unquestioned strength, and gentle guidance, Otunba Ojora commanded respect and reverence, and took particular pleasure in mentoring younger men and women to succeed in life.”

Also reacting, a former Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd) described Ojora as a “veteran journalist and boardroom titan”.

The former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division Nigerian Army noted that he made positive contributions to the industrial and entrepreneurial sectors of the economy, lightened up the social fabric of his time in Lagos, in particular, and across our nation.

Among dignitaries that called to the home of the Ojora’s to express heartfelt condolences were the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke and his elder brother, Dr. Deji Adeleke; Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mr. Femi Otedola and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel.

As a revered Muslim, versed in Islamic doctrines, the nonagenarian’s burial followed the very next day, drawing an avalanche of well wishers and mourners to the Central Mosque, on Lagos Island, where the funeral rites or the Janazah, led by the Chief Imam of Lagos, Sheikh Sulaiman Abou-Nolla, and assisted by other prominent Islamic clerics, were conducted, and finally to the Vaults and Garden, Ikoyi, where the remains were committed to mother-earth. The events were a meeting point of some sort, as they drew together prominent Islamic scholars, family members, political bigwigs and other distinguished guests.

A roll call of the elite callers at the events include the deceased’s wife, Erelu Ojuolape Ojora; his daughter, Toyin Ojora-Saraki, and her husband, former Senate President and Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki. Also in attendance were Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, former Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly Ali Ahmad, former PDP National Chairman Kawu Baraje, Mufti of Ilorin Sheikh Sulaiman Onikijipa, and National President of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria Prince Adeniji Kazeem.

The burial ceremonies began with a recovery of the remains, which were borne by pallbearers for a burial procession before it was a motorcade bore it to the venue of the Janazah.

The long convoy of dignitaries that accompanied the body to the mosque spoke volumes of the personality of Adekunle Ojora. As the solenm approached, Imam Sulaiman Abou-Nolla led the congregation in prayers, asking for the repose of the siul of the deceased.

At the conclusion of the prayers, the body was conveyed to the Ikoyi Vault, where pallbearers and Muslim Ummah as well selected members of the family and notable dignitaries accompanied the remains, amid chants, to its final resting place.

THE MAN, OTUNBA ADEKUNLE OJORA

The highly principled businessman was born Isiaq Adekunle Ojora on June 13, 1932, into the distinguished Ojora Royal Family of Lagos, where he grew with a deeply-rooted tolerance for the history, culture and traditional governance of the Yoruba race and Lagos in particular.

His lineage placed him among the foremost royal families in the state, a heritage he upheld with dignity throughout his long life. Over several decades, he emerged as one of the most influential figures within Lagos’ traditional institutions, commanding respect across royal, cultural and civic circles.

Ojora was a member of the Ojora and Adele royal families of Lagos and was himself the holder of the chieftaincy of the Otunba of Lagos. He studied journalism at Regent Street Polytechnic, with the intention of developing a career in journalism. He started work as a staffer at the BBC where he rose to become an assistant editor.

In 1955, he switched his services to the Nigerian government as a reporter with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He was soon transferred to Ibadan as an information officer in the office of the regional premier. Ojora’s stint with NBC lasted until 1961 when he took up appointment as the public relations manager at United African Company.

Ojora soon developed interest in the commercial units of enterprises, he became an executive director of UAC in 1962. After a military coup truncated the first republic, Ojora was nominated as a member of Lagos City Council in 1966. A year later, he was given political appointments in two government agencies, in 1967, he was managing director of WEMABOD, a regional property and investment company and also in 1967, he succeeded Kola Balogun as chairman of Nigerian National Shipping Line.

After leaving WEMABOD, he became an investor in various firms including AGIP petroleum marketing and NCR Nigeria. He also founded the private firms Nigerlink Industries, Unital Builders and a holding company Lagos Investments. After the Nigerian Enterprise Promotion Act, he took equity interest in some foreign companies operating in Nigeria such as investments in the Nigerian operations of Bowring Group, Inchape, Schlumberger, Phoenix Assurance, UTC Nigeria, Evans Brothers and Seven-Up. He married Erelu Ojuolape, and among their children is Toyin Saraki.

Beyond royalty, Otunba Ojora was widely regarded as a bridge between tradition and modern governance.

The Otunba Adekunle Ojora would be remembered as a quintessential gentleman, astute businessman, excellent in speech, dignified in conduct, and deeply respected across generations.

For as many as those who know him, Ojora has for decades, remained a familiar and revered presence in elite social and cultural spaces, where his highly sought-after counsel and calm disposition have proved relevant and needful.

He is also known for his refined lifestyle and strong family values, an embodiment of a “brand of old-school nobility that earned him admiration well beyond wealth or status. He was often described as a man of honour whose life reflected discipline, tradition, and unwavering integrity.

Otunba Adekunle Ojora is survived by his wife, Erelu Ojuolape Ojora, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.