Segun Atanda/
The Diocese of Ekiti, Anglican Communion, has refuted claims made by veteran journalist and former presidential adviser, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, that mourners staged a walkout during a burial service in Ise-Ekiti after the officiating priest allegedly turned the solemn event into a fundraiser.
In a detailed rejoinder released on Tuesday, the Diocese described Ojudu’s widely circulated article, titled: ‘The Day Mourners Rebelled in Church,’ as “inaccurate and misleading,” insisting that no fundraising or exploitation took place during the funeral service of the late Mrs. Kehinde Adebowale Ajifolawe (née Olokesusi) held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Oraye, Ise-Ekiti, on October 3, 2025.
The church clarified that the service was conducted in accordance with Anglican liturgical tradition and that the only disturbance recorded occurred during the service, when a group of individuals attempted to disrupt the burial, claiming that the deceased owed them N18.5 million.
“The service itself was peaceful and orderly. However, three individuals who arrived during rainfall approached the Vicar alleging that the deceased owed them N18.5 million and insisted that the burial should not proceed until the debt was paid,” the statement read.
“The Vicar, exercising pastoral discretion, declined their request to address the congregation. The only disturbance occurred at the graveside due to this external debt dispute, not due to any conduct of the officiating minister or church officials,” the church further stated.
On the controversial N200,000 donation mentioned in Ojudu’s account, the Diocese said it was a voluntary thanksgiving offering by the family of the deceased, not a solicitation or enforced contribution.
“Contrary to claims that the Vicar rejected a donation, the children of the deceased voluntarily announced a N200,000 thanksgiving offering. They even pleaded passionately to be allowed to render thanksgiving after the donation,” the statement added.
The church further noted that Mrs. Ajifolawe was 60 years old, not “a woman in her fifties” as earlier reported, and that she was not a registered financial member of the church but was nonetheless allowed to be buried there “after much persuasion to promote peace and communal harmony.”
The Diocese, under the supervision of the Right Reverend Dr. Andrew Olusola Ajayi, said it had commenced an internal investigation into the matter “in line with our commitment to truth, transparency, and pastoral integrity,” promising that the findings would be handled according to church discipline and procedure.
Ojudu’s initial essay, published on Monday, had drawn nationwide attention after he accused the officiating priest of turning a solemn funeral into “a marketplace,” alleging that mourners were called multiple times to make donations and that a priest described a N200,000 donation by the deceased’s nieces as “too small.”
The former senator described the reaction of mourners as a “rebellion of conscience,” lamenting what he called the commercialisation of faith and loss of compassion within the church.
But the Diocese rejected that characterisation, asserting that “no fundraising or exploitation took place” and reaffirming that “the Anglican Church has no tradition of commercialising burial services.”
It called on the public and media to remain calm while the church concludes its investigation.
“The Church remains a refuge of faith and compassion, not a marketplace, and we are committed to preserving that sacred trust,” the Diocese stated.
The Diocese also offered prayers for the repose of Mrs. Ajifolawe’s soul and comfort for her bereaved family, quoting from 1 Corinthians 14:40: “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
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