Indeed, the year 2020 would never be forgotten in a hurry. Just six months into the year, it has turned into a super sad year already and a very strange year by most people. A year many would have preferred to obliterate from their memories forever if it’s possible. Last Sunday, millions of Nigerians woke up to the most shattering news of the unfortunate and untimely death of Ibidunni Ighodalo, the gorgeous wife of Lagos popular pastor, Ituah Ighodalo, while on duty in far away Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Gorgeous and humane Ibidunni was said to have died of cardiac arrest in the early hours of Sunday in her hotel room—just few weeks to her 41st birthday. Apparently, it was a ‘Black Sunday’ as many later got to be aware of the death and burial of Ayodeji Modupe-Johnson, the 24-year-old son of billionaire’s daughter, Biola Okoya and Akinwande Modupe-Johnson.
The young lad had passed on, on Friday, June 12 after a brief illness. Condolences and encomiums have been poured by loads of family members and friends of the deceased’s parents. Biola, who years back had converted to Christianity from Islam, is a staunch member of the Trinity House Church. So while the church was still mourning the unfortunate passage of the young Ayodeji and still trying to grapple with the terrible loss of a young man at just 24, another rude shock came down again on the church and the Senior Pastor himself.
Unfortunately, the task of conducting young Ayodeji’s funeral service fell on the bereaved Pastor Ituah. Showing unbelievable strength in the face of all, the Pastor, in his sermon at that funeral service, said in an emotion laden voice; “Everywhere is tense, confused, frightening and disturbing, but we are here today. If they had told us last Sunday, that we would be here celebrating Ayodeji’s life, we would say it is impossible. He was ill no doubt but we were believing God that he would be well. A lot of you would know that I really shouldn’t be here today, but that is how life is. About 2 o’clock this morning, I received a call that shattered my life. But life must go on…Life is a deep mystery.” The late Ayodeji, one of Biola’s three children—others are Ayomide and Ayobola— lived the best life with people who knew him. The deceased was nursing the dream of owning a food truck business as a means to put his love for cooking to good use. He was also an aspiring rapper and voice-over artist.