A tragedy unfolded in Lagos State when Pastor Magistrate Olasanmi Ogunkanmi, 58, unexpectedly slumped and died on the night following his return from a three-week pilgrimage in Jerusalem, Israel.
It was reported that the late Magistrate Ogunkanmi participated in his final pilgrimage with the first group of Lagos pilgrims before his sudden death on January 1, 2025.
The deceased, who served at the Ikeja Magistrate Court, was remembered as a “gentle, humble, and amiable fellow” who excelled in his duties throughout his life.
“Adegbite was filled with excitement and satisfaction upon his return on 1st January 2025 when, suddenly, God called him home,” a staff member at the Ikeja Magistrate Court told Vanguard.
Conflicting reports emerged regarding the cause of death. While some sources stated he collapsed and died at his residence that fateful night, others claimed he fell asleep peacefully and never woke up.
Meanwhile, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), paid a condolence visit to the widow of the late Ogunkanmi at their Ikorodu home in Lagos on Friday, January 17, 2025.
Adegbite expressed heartfelt sympathy to the young widow over the sudden and shocking loss of Magistrate Ogunkanmi. He urged her to have faith in God, assuring her that her husband had found eternal rest in the bosom of his Maker.
According to Adegbite, “It was not an accident that the late Magistrate Ogunkanmi passed away the night after returning from his holy pilgrimage in Jerusalem. This occurrence makes his death seem providential. Your husband lived a fulfilled life on earth; thus, it is not the length of life that matters, but the quality of it.”
He prayed that the Good Lord would comfort the family during this time of bereavement.
Additionally, Adegbite assured her of the commission’s support for a dignified burial for this JP of the commission and a Pilgrimage Ambassador of Nigeria.
The NCPC chief had previously visited the family residence in Kado, Abuja, last Monday to extend his condolences.
The remains of the late Magistrate Ogunkanmi will be laid to rest on February 7, 2025, in Lagos, following a Service of Songs on February 6, 2025.
