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Passages of 2015

2015 has been full of joy and celebrations, but there were also great men and women who bid this sinful world goodbye.  This naturally threw their families and friends into deep mourning.

ENCOMIUM Weekly presents to you famous people who passed away in 2015.

 

IYALODE ADUNNI BANKOLE

The Iyalode of Gbagura land, Abeokuta, Ogun State and also the stepmother of former Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, passed away on Saturday, January 3, 2015.

Her death was very shocking especially to top socialites and media practitioners who are very close to her.

She died on her daughter’s (Mopelola) wedding day..

 

CHIEF MOLADE OKOYA-THOMAS

Okoya-Thomas was the Asoju Oba of Lagos, Odofin of Ife, Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU) and chairman of CFAO Nigeria Limited.  He died on Monday, February 2, 2015 at 79.

He was an avid sports lover and sole sponsor of the annual Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championship, for over four decades.  His death also shocked many Nigerians.

 

ORONTO DOUGLAS

The former President Goodluck Jonathan’s top aide and Special Adviser on Research, Documentation and Strategy, Oronto Douglas died on Thursday, April 9, 2015, at 49.

He was known as one of Jonathan’s most brilliant and influential aides, documenting the president’s achievements and legacies and helping him co-ordinate parallel media and campaign strategies for the Presidency.

He died of cancer related complications.

 

OONI OF IFE,  OBA OKUNADE SIJUWADE

One of Nigeria’s prominent traditional rulers, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade died in a London hospital at 85.

He died on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, after ruling the ancient kingdom for 35 years.  His death was shocking and controversial. It took a while before he was finally pronounced dead by the palace chiefs.

Officially, Alayeluwa, Oba Okunade Sijuwade was born on January 1, 1930.  At 50, he became the 50th Ooni of Ife in 1980, taking the name, Olubuse II.

 

PETER BUNOR

Nollywood actor, Peter Bunor passed away on Saturday, May 2, 2015.  He died after battling stroke for years.

He was laid to rest and paid last respects by his colleagues and family on Saturday, May 30, 2015.

 

DAN  MARAYA JOS

Dan Maraya Jos was a Hausa entertainer best known for playing the Kontigi.

Dan Maraya whose name means the little orphan of Jos, was born in 1946 and died on Saturday, June 20, 2015, in Bukur near Jos, in Plateau after a protracted illness.

He was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, where he died.

 

ESTHER KANU

Esther Kanu, one of the models who represented Abia State in the 2013 edition of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) beauty pageant gave up the ghost on Wednesday, January 7, 2015.

She was reported to have slumped and was rushed to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead.  Her death was very shocking to her friends who she reportedly dined and wined with, a day to her death.

 

MUNA OBIEKWE

Nollywood actor, Muna Obiekwe kicked the bucket on Sunday, January 18, 2015, after  battling kidney disease.

He was one of the busiest actors who featured in over 50 movies, including Dirty Secret, Great Betrayal, Blackberry Babes, Zara, amongst others.

He is survived by a wife and children.

 

DADA ERIYE

The publisher of Bravo magazine, Dada Eriye bid the world goodbye on Saturday, February 14, 2015.  He was said to be fuelling his generator which caught fire and he was seriously burnt in the process.

He was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, where he died.

 

MUFUTAU  SANNI

Popular Yoruba actor, Mufutau Sanni, a.k.a Ajigijaga, died on Friday, July 31, 2015.

He passed on after a brief illness and was buried the following day according to Islamic injunctions.  His death was too much to bear for his heavily pregnant wife, Zainab Sanni, who later gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, Jameel Ayomide Sanni.

 

ADEBOWALE ADEFUYE

Nigerian historian and diplomat, Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye died of heart attack on Thursday, August 27, 2015, in Washington DC, USA.  He was Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States.  He was named the ambassador to Jamaica in 1987, serving until 1991.  He also concurrently served as the ambassador to Belize.

He was recalled in 2015 after Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as President of Nigeria.

 

ZANNAH MUSTAPHA

The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha died at 60 on Saturday, August 15, 2015.

Zannah passed on in his sleep on Saturday morning while visiting Yola, the Adamawa State capital, to attend the convocation of Modibba Adama University of Science and Technology (MAUST).

 

BASHIRU  ABIOLA

Alhaji Bashiru Abiola was the younger brother of the late politician, billionaire and winner of June 12,1993 presidential election, Bashorun M.K.O Abiola.  Bashiru Abiola gave up the ghost on Friday, October 2, 2015.

He was known for the support he gave his brother during the political struggle to retrieve his elder brother’s stolen mandate.

He was buried on Saturday, October 3, 2015.

 

I. D AWOLOWO

Mrs. Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo (HID) died on Saturday, September 19, 2015, shortly after a meeting with her family members.

Mrs. Awolowo was born on November 25, 1915.  She married the sage and iconic politician, Obafemi Awolowo on December 26, 1937.

She was popularly referred to as Jewel of Inestimable Value in her heydays.  She was a successful businesswoman and played an active role in supporting her husband’s legendary political career.

 

DIEPREYE SOLOMON ALAMIEYESEIGHA

The death of former governor of Bayelsa State was another great shock to the country.

He was reported to have died of cardiac arrest at the University of Port Harcourt, on Saturday, October 10, 2015.

Nigerians were also divided over his death, some mourned the late governor and tagged his death as a ‘great loss for Bayelsa State,” while some couldn’t even believe he actually died.

 

FOLUSO SAMUEL

The publisher of Society Nigeria Now magazine and former Assistant Editor of ENCOMIUM Weekly breathed his last on Thursday, October 29, 2015.

He passed on after a brief illness. He was best known for his incisive coverage of celebrities’ weddings that had taken him to many parts of the country.  He will surely be missed by the soft sell media fraternity.

He was survived by his young wife and two boys.

 

AUDU  ABUBAKAR

This was another shocking news in 2015.  The former Kogi State governor, Audu Abubakar passed on just a day before the announcement of the Kogi State election which was in his favour.

His death generated a lot of confusion in the political circle, especially with his party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, he thrice tried to go back to the Lord Lugard House, after occupying it twice.

He kicked the bucket on Friday, November 20, 2015, at 60, after battling heart attack, just at the verge of his victory in Kogi guber elections.

– TADE ASIFAT and GIDEON ONIYIDE

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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