Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu joined clergymen on Thursday in attending the funeral service of the late bishop of the Diocese of Lagos and Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Humphrey Olumakaiye.
Olumakaiye died on October 31 after a brief illness. He was aged 53.
Also present at the funeral were Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Primate of the Church of Nigeria Henry Ndukuba, hundreds of bishops and priests.
The funeral service held at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Idanre, Ondo State was presided over by Ndukuba and assisted by the Archbishop of Ondo Province and Diocesan Bishop of Akure, Simeon Borokini.
The service was also attended by Anglican and other denomination bishops, priests, religious leaders, traditional rulers, diocesan officials, family and friends of the deceased home and abroad, people of Idanre community and Ondo State.
Speaking at the funeral, Sanwo-Olu described Olumakaiye’s death as a great loss not only to the people of Idanre community and Lagos State but the Anglican Communion in Nigeria.
He said: “The Most Rev. Dr. Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye was our brother, friend and bishop; a man that truly loves God, a man that served God with everything that he had, a man that was indeed a great worshipper and an evangelist of our time.
“The loss is not for Idanre town, the loss is not for Lagos State, the loss is for the entire Anglican Communion in Nigeria. We cannot begin to ask or question God almighty who knows best and given the fact that he was a child of God. At the right time, God Almighty called him to join Him.
“As the people of God, we want to thank the almighty for his life, for who he was, for what he believed in and for the impact he made in the very short but impactful time on earth. We are happy that indeed he is a man that has touched many lives, a man that created in a very short while a big shoe that we are hoping that people will be able to fit in.”
Sanwo-Olu, who was at the cemetery when the remains of Olumakaiye were lowered into the grave, urged the deceased’s widow, Prof. Motunrayo and her son Richard to take his death in good faith.
Olumakaiye was the first bishop of Osun North East in 2009 before being transferred to the Diocese of Lagos in 2018.
