The tragic incident occurred at Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Iyanu, Odemuyiwa District Headquarters in Egbeda, Lagos, where family and guests had gathered for the thanksgiving in honour of Deaconess Catherine Adejoke Akinyele.
By Titilope Adako
A Lagos-based hotelier, Otunba Kunle Akinyele, slumped and died during his wife’s 60th birthday thanksgiving service on Saturday.
The tragic incident occurred at Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Iyanu, Odemuyiwa District Headquarters in Egbeda, Lagos, where family and guests had gathered for the thanksgiving in honour of Deaconess Catherine Adejoke Akinyele.
According to a Facebook post by digital creator Ayoade Ojeniyi, Akinyele had gestured for help—possibly asking for water or an inhaler—before collapsing during his testimony.
A viral video showed the moment Akinyele became visibly distressed and eventually slumped.
The family had planned a reception immediately after the service at Noble Castle Events Centre in Igando.
Vendors had arrived as early as 10am for the event scheduled to start at 2pm.
However, the mood changed when news broke that Akinyele had collapsed in church and could not be revived despite efforts.
One of the vendors, who expressed shock online, said, “Variety of foods were set, decoration, cocktail, emu oguro, and many more. The MC spoke with him around 1:23pm. Less than an hour later, we heard he was dead.”
The vendor added, “This is how people die? I can’t possibly ask for my balance for the job.”
The event was immediately cancelled as guests began to leave the venue in disbelief.
Akinyele was the owner of Ologbo Nla Hotel in Isheri, Idimu, Lagos.
The video of the incident has sparked emotional reactions online, with many social media users urging men to prioritise their health and reduce stress.
A user, Taylor Sam, commented, “From the look of things, the man was overtime stressed up… Men should cut down on their workload!”
Another user, Cicero Sasore-Whyte, said, “It comes like a thief in the night, and snatched our precious life just like that.”
While the cause of death is yet to be officially confirmed, the incident has triggered public reflection on the fragility of life and the need for regular health checks.
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