Olayiwola Matthew
Bunmi Akinnaanu, the Nigerian gospel singer better known as Omije Ojumi who passed away recently, has been buried in Lagos.
Akinnaanu died on January 12 after a prolonged and public struggle with a severe leg ailment.
Months before her death, she had appealed for prayers and healing, garnering widespread sympathy from fans and the music community.
A solemn service of songs was held for the late singer on Wednesday, with family and industry colleagues gathered to pay their respects to Bunmi.
The singer was laid to rest on Thursday at the Atan Cemetery in Yaba, Lagos.
The final interment was a sombre affair, marked by hymns and prayers led by clergymen at the graveside.
Family members performed the symbolic rite of sprinkling sand on her coffin as a final farewell.
However, videos shared on social media show a tense confrontation during the graveside service between Bunmi’s son and a relative of her estranged husband.
The situation intensified when the man, who was not in attendance, attempted to reach their children via video call.
In one clip, a relative can be heard pleading with the son, saying, “He’s your family and he loves you. We want to show our love to you. Your father loves you”.
The boy responded angrily, shouting, “I am not!”
Another video depicts the estranged husband trying to speak with their daughter over the phone, though she appeared visibly uninterested in the exchange.
Bunmi’s burial comes a few days after cleric Segun Arole revealed that there was an ongoing conflict between her family and fellow gospel artistes regarding her funeral arrangements.
Initial funeral plans, circulated by gospel artiste Alayo Melody, detailed a multi-day schedule.
The arrangements were later called off. Colleague Lanre Alewilese attributed the cancellation to an “internal crisis” within the Akinnaanu family.