A popular gospel singer, Peters Oluwasegun Olaniyi, has spoken out to clarify what transpired regarding the burial arrangements of the late Evangelist Bunmi Akinnaanu Omije Ojumi, and why the initial burial plans were withdrawn.
According to him, “The family members who are now very active on social media did not take proper care of Evangelist Bunmi while she was alive.”
He explained further, “Before her death, Evangelist Bunmi personally instructed a close ally who was with her that her life should be celebrated after she passed on. Based on that instruction, we made plans, spent money, and were fully ready to honor her wishes.”
Speaking on the involvement of the family, he said, “The family was aware of everything we were doing. They gave us dates, and we were working together until they suddenly cancelled the burial arrangements on their own. We begged them not to cancel it, but it seemed they believed they could make money through the burial.”
He described the turning point of the situation, stating, “The first major step that scared us was the arrest of a lady named Ranti, who stood by Bunmi while she was in the hospital. She was arrested, all of Sister Bunmi’s belongings with her were collected, and the police were asked to investigate her personal account. It was at the police station that we were told the event already about 80% planned had been cancelled.”
He added, “After they later realized that there was no money anywhere, that was when they started begging us to come back and continue the burial plans.”
On the spiritual concerns surrounding the matter, he said, “Nearly all of us were warned spiritually to step back. We were told we were being deceived and that anything could happen to us during or after the event. The safest decision for us was to withdraw and keep watching from afar.”
He emphasized the level of preparation already completed, saying, “Before everything was cancelled, we had already printed T-shirts, bought the casket, secured where she would be buried, and paid for equipment and the venue. Despite all this, they ignored everything and decided to go for a fresh arrangement.”
Addressing the financial concerns, he stated, “One of the major issues was when the brother sent a proposed burial budget of ₦7 million. We believed the burial could be done well and decently without spending that much.”
He concluded by appealing to the public, saying, “I want to plead with everyone that whenever issues come up on social media, we should always seek the full facts before drawing conclusions.”