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Femi Segun’s funeral extra – Rain of tributes on March 27 and 28

THE late ace compere, Mr. Olufemi Enitan Segun was buried at Vault and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday, March 28, 2014, after a funeral service at The Rock Cathedral, Lekki, Lagos.  A Service of Songs was held for him at his home, Millennium Estate, Lekki, Lagos, a day earlier.  Mr. Femi Segun died on Friday, March 21, 2014, one week after he had a terrible accident on his power bike near his Lekki, Lagos home.

HEAVY RAIN AT THE SERVICE OF SONGS

Heavy rain that fell in most parts of Lagos on Thursday, March 27, 2014, disrupted proceedings at the Service of Songs for late polyglot, Olufemi Enitan Segun.  Just as the service, held at House 4, Block 6 Millennium Estate (Justice Quarters), Lekki, Lagos started, the heavens opened its floodgate.   Intercessions from the House on the Rock pastor who conducted the service couldn’t even help matters as guests scampered to safety. The lightings and decorations set up to beatify the Quadrangle were hurriedly removed and ferried to a safe place.  Others who had nowhere to run to moved into the family house and under the canopy that sheltered the pastors and choir from House on the Rock Church, Lekki, Lagos while the service went on.  The menu bag was later shared among guests after the service which lasted for just one hour as everyone departed into the cold night.

FACES AT THE SERVICE OF SONGS

The crowd that came for Femi Segun’s Service of Songs brought life into the sleepy Millennium Estate, Lekki, Lagos.  Those who came in their vehicles parked few metres away from the Quadrangle where the event held.  Most friends and school mates of the late master of ceremonies were well represented.  Students of Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos came in their school bus to the venue, there was a delegation from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, presenters from Television Continental, Lagos were also present.

SHOCK AND DISBELIEF STILL TRAIL HIS DEATH

One week after the death of Mr. Femi Segun, his neighbours at Millennium Estate are still in shock.  Many of them took time out to glance at his obituary pasted around the estate with disbelief.  Some of them who are witness to the accident that took his life talk in hushed tones.  They agreed only a miracle could have made the deceased survive such terrible accident, painting the picture of the wreckage of the power bike and the ruins of the jeep he (Femi) collided with.

MORE TRIBUTES AT THE FUNERAL SERVICE

The next day, Friday, March 28, 2014, families and friends assembled for the final funeral proceedings for Femi Segun. The service, which held at The Rock Cathedral, House on the Rock Church, Lekki, Lagos, was characterized by outpouring of tributes and eulogies for the departed.  Femi Segun’s large pictures decorated the church’s foyer as those who came paid their last respect by signing the condolence registers.

THE BIBLE READINGS

The two Bible readings for the service was extracted from 1 Thessalonians 4:14 and 1 Corinthians 15:55 as read by daughters of the deceased, Rolari and Fikemi.

THE LATE ARRIVAL OF THE FUNERAL BOOKLET

The booklet for the funeral service of Mr. Femi Segun were not available during the church service at The Rock Cathedral, Lekki, Lagos.  Those contracted to produce the materials disappointed the burial committee.  The material was made available at the burial site, Vault and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos. The same episode played out at the Service of Songs a day earlier.

FEMI SEGUN, A CAT WITH NINE LIVES

During his tributes, Mr. Femi Olubanwo who spoke on behalf of Igbobi College Old Students Association recounted how the late Femi Segun nearly died in a similar power bike accident during his undergraduate days at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Osun State.  His Kawasaki GT250 bike flew over a Peugeot 404 car, and he suffered broken bones, had lifetime scars and was hospitalized for weeks.

HOW HE SURVIVED KIDNEY FAILURE

Also in his early years, the late Femi Segun suffered kidney failure.  This was very much disclosed by Mr. Bola Segun who read his biography.  According to him (Bola), Femi Segun had kidney failure but he vowed he would survive it which he did until the power bike accident that eventually claimed his life.

PAUL ADEFARASIN’S MOVING SERMON

Pastor Paul Adefarasin’s voice reverberated the Rock Cathedral auditorium as he painted what heaven looks like in his sermon.  The congregation were spellbound by his oratory prowess at illustrating the sermon titled, The Gain of Death.  The preacher moved around with plain clothed body guards.

FEMI SEGUN’S WIDOW INCONSOLABLE

The widow of the late compere extraordinaire, Mrs. Bisi Segun who had earlier during the week put up a brave front broke down in tears at the funeral service held inside The Rock Cathedral, Lekki, Lagos.  Consolations from sympathizers were not enough to stop the Lagos High Court Judge from shedding more tears at the graveside when the body of her partner of many years was lowered into the grave at the Vault and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos.

A PRIVATE LYING IN STATE

Only a few friends and family members were allowed to see Femi Segun’s corpse before burial. The body was not also brought to the church.  TOS Funeral Service that handled the procession retrieved the body from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos earlier in the day and brought it straight to Vault and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos in a brown casket where the party from the church in Lekki, Lagos joined them for the final burial.

YENI KUTI IN TEARS

Yeni Kuti, former wife of the deceased wept uncontrollably shortly after the remains of Femi Segun was committed to mother earth.

FEMI KUTI REUNITED WITH EX-WIFE

Afrobeat king who made it to Femi Segun’s funeral service at The Rock Cathedral, Lekki, Lagos reunited with former wife, Funke Kuti.  Both sat together at the service as their faces lit up the multimedia screens inside the church.  Femi came to the service alongside one of his babymamas, Anthonia.

SLEEP ON BELOVED

That was the last hymn rendered for the departed at Vault and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos.  At around 2 p.m, Pastor Paul Adefarasin had concluded the proceedings and one after the other guests left the graveside, allowing the gentleman to rest in peace.

LIGHT REFRESHMENT AT LEKKI, LAGOS

Light refreshment was available at Mr. Femi Segun’s Millennium Estate home in Lekki, Lagos after the funeral.  Only few guests made it to the place, while others left Vault and Gardens for other business of the day.

FEMI SEGUN’S BIOGRAPHY

Olufemi Enitan Segun was born in Ibadan on May 19, 1958, and he spent his first five years growing up in the Oke Ado area of Oyo State.  In 1964, he moved to Lagos and enrolled at Lagos University Staff School for his primary education.  He moved to Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos for his secondary education and in 1976, he gained admission into the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Osun State (now Obafemi Awolowo University).  He graduated with a first degree in Modern European Languages and later bagged a Masters degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies.

Femi Segun was a polyglot, fluent in French, Portuguese and German and had a working knowledge of Spanish, Italian, Ibo and Hausa languages.  He served three former Heads of State as Portuguese/French interpreter and senior protocol aide between 1983 and 1990.  In the course of his diplomatic duty, he was honoured by President Jao Figueireo of Brazil with the Officer of the Order of Rio Branco.  He worked with Oceanic Bank, he later set up his own company, Coltrane Limited.  He contested for the Lagos West senatorial seat in the 2003 general elections under Justice Party and he lost.

Femi Segun was a Rotarian.  He married Bisi nee Coker in 1998, they have a daughter, Fikemi born in 2000.  Femi also has another daughter, Rolari from an earlier marriage to Yeni Kuti.

 – FOLUSO SAMUEL

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Femi Segun’s funeral pictures extra

Femi Segun’s funeral extra – Rain of tributes on March 27 and 28 (2)