According to a reliable source, “some members of the Agagu Burial Planning Committee and close family associates were seen making frantic efforts all morning to buy another casket from Lagos sellers but they were snubbed.”
Saturday Independent gathered that as much as N5million was offered for the replacement of the damaged gold casket which was supplied by MIC undertakers to some of the sellers around the city but they had all agreed through telephone contacts that no one should sell another casket to the family especially with the death of the Managing Director of MIC, Tunji Okusanya, and his first son in the crash.
According to our source, “Casket sellers and undertakers in the state had all been previously warned through an earlier prediction by a spiritualist of an impeding tragedy, following the sudden death of the late governor during a political meeting in Lagos.
“In fact, many signals had been received suggestive that his death was ‘mysterious’ and that it would definitely cause some confusion and so when the crash occurred in the morning of Thursday, it was natural that no one would be willing to sell another casket to the family,” the source said.
It was learnt that after efforts to convince the sellers failed, the family eventually got another gold casket from MIC Undertakers to eventually bury the governor with the MIC logo.
Meanwhile, the family of the late Agagu, even in its own bereavement, is deeply mourning the death of all those who lost their lives in the ill-fated crash.
A statement signed by Femi Agagu reads: “In deference to all the families who are in bereavement, and out of respect for the memory of the departed, the Agagu family has decided to scale down the details of the funeral to its barest and basic minimum.
“Accordingly, the funeral will now be a private family affair, shorn of all the pomp and pageantry of a State funeral.
“It is also instructive to note that the traditional Christian wake was entirely cancelled yesterday.
“The Agagu family deeply commiserates with all the bereaved families and prays fervently for the repose of the souls of all the departed.”
During the funeral service, the Bishop of the Coast (Anglican Communion), Rev. Josuah Ebun-Oluwa Ogunele, attributed the survival of the former governor’s first son and his son-in-law, Feyi and Femi Akinsanya, in the plane crash to the fervent fasting and prayers of Christian faithful in Iju-Odo community prior to the incident.
Ogunele, while preaching at the burial service at St. Paul Anglican Church, Iju-Odo for the late former governor of Ondo State who passed away on September 13, 2013 at his Ikoyi, Lagos home, said the initial plan of the devil was to wipe out the entire Agagu family from the face of the earth.
He advised the relations of the former governor to take solace in the fact that the crash did not consume the entire family.
He, however, charged the people to emulate the virtue of the late politician, stressing that his goodwill, exemplary leadership quality, open-mindedness and simply lifestyle were worthy of emulation.
The bishop urged the deceased’s widow, Olufunke, and his children to put the tragic incident behind them, celebrate the life and time of the great family, and forgive every person that might have wronged the family even after Agagu’s death.
The remains of the late Agagu were brought into the church auditorium at about 3:15p.m. in a gold plated purple casket built by Bell Casket, Lagos, with pallbearers from same funeral home.
The casket was lowered into the grave within the church premises at about 3:45 p.m. after prayers led by Ogunele at the graveside.
The widow, Olufunke, and her two daughters, Omosolape and Olawumi and Agagu’s younger brother, Femi, were at the graveside to perform the dust-to-dust rite and bid the deceased farewell.
Members of Iju-Odo community were in sorrowful mood Friday morning while awaiting the family and the remains of Agagu who was described as a pillar of the community.
Heavy security presence was noticed around the town, while every road leading to the sleepy town was guarded by armed security men.
Dignitaries at the burial included former governors of Ekiti, Oyo, Osun and Ogun states; Niyi Adebayo, Ayodele Fayose, Alao Akala, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Gbenga Daniel, respectively.
Others are Ministers of Police Affºairs, Caleb Olubolade, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Communications Technology, Omobola Johnson; former Defence Minister, Tokunbo Kayode, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the state, Olusola Oke and Presidential Adviser on Niger-Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku.
Ondo state governor, Olusegun Mimiko was, however, absent at the burial but was represented by the state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Nike Ademujinmi.
Relations of the 13 victims of the crash are to commence procedure for identifying the remains today at the premises of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
Saturday Independent gathered that a meeting of the families of the victims and the hospital management is scheduled to hold at 10a.m. to familiarise them with the procedure for identification and collection of corpses.
Already, pathologists at the hospital have carried out initial x-ray of the bodies and commenced autopsy on the charred remains of the 13 bodies, hoping to complete to process by close of Saturday.
The Lagos State government is also expected to hold a crucial meeting with all stakeholders including the management of Associated Airlines, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) later on Saturday.
Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, confirmed that two of the five survivors that were taken to LASUTH have been certified to be “quite stable. Two others are still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with one sustaining a minor injury.
He said the remaining two survivors were at the Gbagada General Hospital and Airforce Hospital Ikeja.
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