Family calls off burial arrangements for late gospel singer, Omije Ojumi

By Folashade Olorunfemi –

Burial arrangements earlier announced for late gospel musician, Bunmi Akinnaanu, popularly known as Omije Ojumi, have been cancelled.

The cancellation was announced by the family on Saturday through a video post on Instagram shared by two close colleagues of the deceased, Lanre Alewilese and Alayo Melody. The statement read:

“This is to inform you that all plans and arrangements for the burial of our late sister and colleague, OMIJE OJUMI, by the burial planning committee have been totally cancelled.”

According to the statement, the decision was taken by the family due to issues arising within Bunmi’s family, which necessitated the cancellation despite ongoing preparations.

The family further tendered apologies to colleagues, friends and well-wishers for the inconvenience caused by the sudden change of plans, adding that further information regarding the postponement would be disclosed in due course.

The announcement was made hours after Mr Alewilese and Alayo Melody posted a flier of the singer’s burial arrangements, detailing a service of songs and candlelight procession at 7pm, including a tribute and artistes’ night slated to hold at 8pm on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, at the LTV 8 compound in Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos. The sepulture service was scheduled for the following day, Wednesday, January 21, which, according to the post, was strictly for family members and close associates.

On the late evening of January 12, 2026, Nigerians and the Christian community were thrown into mourning as news of her demise was announced by a colleague in the gospel music industry, Alayo Melody, who shared the news via an Instagram post on behalf of the bereaved family.

Alayo Melody accompanied the post with a video of the deceased’s last birthday celebration held in a hospital where she was receiving treatment. The video captured the deceased smiling and dancing on the hospital bed as Alayo sang birthday songs and prayed for her while presenting a birthday cake. He captioned the post: “Gone from our sights, but never from our hearts. Your memory will live in the hearts of everyone who knew you. My deepest sympathies to the husband, children and family during this time of loss. May you find comfort in one another.”

The cause of her death was linked to a prolonged illness associated with her leg, which worsened over time, as she eventually succumbed to her pain. The post, which showed the late singer’s picture and a video of her remains, revealed that she passed away at a hospital in Lagos at about 7:40pm.

The announcement read: “With great sadness, we announce the passing of Evangelist Olubunmi Akinnaanu Adeoye, OMIJE OJUMI, who passed away on 12th January, 2026 at a Lagos hospital, Nigeria. May God grant her eternal rest.”

Bunmi’s death was announced shortly after she openly sought prayers and spiritual healing while battling a serious leg ailment. In October 2025, a video went viral showing the gospel singer during a church service at G.F. David Ministries in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The footage captured the singer seated with her affected leg stretched out on a chair as a pastor prayed for her recovery. This attracted widespread sympathy and prayers from fans and well-wishers within the Christian community.

Ayo Melody, alongside another close colleague, Lanre Alewilese, had earlier made posts soliciting public funds for the treatment of her ailment. However, her condition worsened, and the duo later received public criticism after Bunmi’s death, with claims that they failed to update the public on her health progress before her demise.

Reacting to critics, Lanre posted a video on his Instagram page on January 15, 2026, addressing those he said had attacked him through calls and hate speech in the comment section. He explained that he could only go as far as the family of the deceased permitted, noting that he was merely a colleague trying to help and had no authority over public updates on Bunmi’s health unless approved by the family, who vehemently opposed the idea. He added that the family believed public updates could negatively affect her healing and also upset those who had contributed funds for her treatment.

In a similar post made by Alayo Melody, captioned “To whom it may concern”, a repost of Lanre’s video was shared on his Instagram page on January 17, 2026.

The 45-year-old gospel musician, who rose to prominence in the 2000s with her debut song titled Omije Ojumi, from which her nickname was derived, left a banking career to pursue music. She had worked in the banking industry for over a decade before fully embracing music, having been involved in music from a young age.

Born on November 19, 1979, Bunmi studied Industrial Relations and Personnel Management at Lagos State University (LASU) after attending Lagos State Polytechnic.

Akinnaanu began her music career at Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Mushin branch, where she collaborated with the church choir before going solo. She was known for songs of redemption, hope and worship, blending traditional and modern sounds. She released several albums, including Dabira, Alatileyinmi, Ma-Sunkun-Mo, Tujuka, Testimony, and O ti mure wa, and had continued to excel in the Nigerian gospel music industry before her demise.