This post has already been read at least 115 times!

The family of late Mr. Solomon Ayimesine Ojage, a former police inspector and community leader, has issued a strong disclaimer disowning a widely publicized burial date scheduled for June 28, 2025, describing it as unauthorized and fraudulent.

In a statement signed by Comrade Obi Offiong Ojage, a renowned journalist and former Board Member of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Abuja, on behalf of the Ojage family, the family condemned what they termed a “purported burial arrangement” orchestrated without their consent by Mr. Atakwa Bully, a former Director at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Calabar.

According to the family, Mr. Atakwa Bully, described as a distant maternal relation, allegedly misled other members of the Ojage family in the diaspora by falsely claiming that the deceased’s closest sibling, Comrade Obi Offiong Ojage—who resides in Calabar—was unable to handle the burial arrangements.

The statement detailed that Mr. Bully allegedly presented a budget running into hundreds of thousands of Naira to the siblings abroad, obtained funds for the burial, and went as far as initiating grave-digging activities without the knowledge or approval of the immediate family in Calabar.

Late Mr. Solomon Ojage, who spent much of his life in Aba, Abia State, before returning to Cross River State, was known for his public service, having chaired the Marian Market Management Committee in Calabar under the administration of the late Edet Okon Asim. Afterward, he relocated to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, before returning to Nigeria where he passed away after a brief illness.

The family revealed that it was only after hearing about the unauthorized plans that Comrade Obi Offiong Ojage stepped in to take full charge of the burial arrangements, including expenses for the coffin, ambulance, and tiling of the grave. The Bishop of the Latter-day Saints Church in Calabar was said to have intervened in the matter, instructing Mr. Bully to refund all monies collected under the pretense of burial arrangements.

However, according to the family, Mr. Bully has refused to comply with this directive.

Making matters worse, the Ojage family said Mr. Bully went ahead to secretly print burial posters listing Michael Solomon Ojage, the late Solomon Ojage’s son, as Chief Mourner, despite the young man’s current vulnerable living conditions.

“We wish to inform the general public to disregard any ongoing or circulating information about the said June 28, 2025, burial date,” the disclaimer read. “The correct burial date, when decided, will be formally announced and will reflect proper family consensus and arrangements.”

The family advised friends, sympathizers, and members of the public to await official communication from the immediate family.

The disclaimer was signed by Comrade Obi Offiong Ojage, as Chief Mourner and immediate younger brother to the deceased, on behalf of the entire Ojage family.

This post has already been read at least 115 times!