Events 2004: PASSAGES
Fallen Heroes

By Olatunbosun Sowemimo
Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Death, the ultimate end of men was as usual busy throughout 2004. Nigeria and the rest of the world lost illustrous people. They include:

* Jinka Dare, 32, Nigeria's fomous basketball star, of a heart condition in United State, January 10.

* John Ishola Gbadamosi, 67, Patron, Ogun, State Young Men Christian Association and a member of Abeokuta Sports Club, January 22.

* Muritala Aremu Okunola, 59, former Lagos High Court judge and presiding judge of the Court of Appeal until his death, January 22.

* Femi Felix Fashina, 50, head of presentation, Star FM in a motor accident, January 31.

* Ebenezer Olawale Fasehun, 78, Nigeria's first qualified academic Chartered Structual Engineer, Febrauary 3.

* Andrew Iketuonye, SAN, 85. He was Nigeria's 39th senior advocate, February 25.

* D.O. Dede, 84, former federal civil commissioner representing Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, February 17.

* Alfred Abiodun Vaughan, 96, retired agricultural officer and father of Ibironke Vaughan Adetope, Nigeria's High Commissioner to Zambia and Malawi, March 9.

 Adewale Thompson, 82, secretary-general, Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, and former attorney-general of old Oyo State, March 17.

* Bola E. Yauri, national vice-chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, North-West, in an auto-accident, March 21.

* Felix Oezere Osuhor, politician and former minister of agriculture and natural resources in the then Mid-Western region, March 22.

* Veronica Ibuaka Oputa, community leader and patron of St. Anne's Catholic Church Women Society, April 17.

* Nathaniel Aina, 80, former deputy governor of the old Ondo State under late Adekunle Ajasin, April 10.

* Winifred Olamide Ibidapo-Obe, 79, mother of Ayo Ibidapo-Obe, vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, April 25.

* Femi Sodipo, 57, lawyer and property consultant. Immediate ex-district governor of International Association of Lions Club, Nigeria, April 12.

* Amos Tinuayo Oduyale, 78, first Diocesean president of Remo, May 9.

* Priscilla Osuji, mother of Fabian Osuji, minister of education, May 6.

* Maurice Nnorom, 90, former parliamentarian in the First Republic, June 8.

* Akintunde Akinsanya, 82, seasoned administrator, teacher and scientist, June 24.

* Joseph Ajomo, 64, Catholic diocese bishop of Lokoja, Kogi State, of a protracted disease, June 21.

* Uzoamaka Nwizu, 54, Nigeria's first female immigration comptroller-general

* Comfort Oji Ibori, 88, mother of Delta State governor, James Ibori, July 1.

* Edozie Enemuo, head of marketing, Nigeria Football Association, July 25.

* Patrick Okpomo, 60, eminent football administrator, July 29.

* Debo Akande, 65, famous lawyer and politician. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and a member of Amnesty International and World Peace Through the Law, August 8.

* Olubukonla Roland Olomoola also known as Baba Ara 41, popular Yoruba gospel musician, after a brief illness, August 31.

* Lanre Ogunwande, 51, airspace manager with Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, branch at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, August

* Stephen Akiga, 62, former minister of sports, a close friend of President Olusegun Obasanjo while serving a 15-year jail term in Jos prisons, September 6.

* Anthony Ukpabia Asika, 68, political scientist and former administrator of East-Central State, September 13.

* Bartholomew Okekenwa Ekeh, 65, educationist in Ntu Community, Ngor Okpala, Imo State, October 29.

* Jerry Eyituoyo Agbeyegbe, 49, pilot and aviation activist, assassinated under controversial circumstances October 12.

* Mohammed Bello, 74, former chief justice of Nigeria, died in a German hospital, November 4.

* Geoffery Itse Mene Otubu, 80, prelate and Baba Aladura of Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, November 17.

* Adeniyi Adeniran Coker, 72, former clerk, Senate, November 13.

* Tunji Oseni, 62, distinguished journalist and former senior assistant to the President on media and publicity, died of lung disease, November 29.

* Sunday Michael Afolabi, 70, former deputy governor of old Oyo State and former minister of internal affairs.

* Jayejeje Aboderin, 33, leader/founder of Synergy Enterainment Consultants, son of the late Punch publisher, Chief Olu Aboderin, an actor, singer, producer and a director of The Punch newspaper. Died of heart failure while playing basketball, December 3.

* Justice Chuba Ikpeazu, 92, former two-time chairman of the Nigeria Football Association and one of the fore-runners of professional football in the country, died in Onitsha his home town, December 26.

* Mohammed Kaloma Ali, 70, former minister of solid minerals died at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

* Dokun Abidoye, 59, Pillar of sports and president of Youth Sport Federation of Nigeria, YSFON, Chief Executive, Koda International Shipping Company Limited, after a brief illness, December 21.

* Edna Agwuocha, journalist, died of cancer of the breast, November 27.

On the foreign scene , the icy hands of death took away some prominent people.

* Ronald Reagan, 93, former American president. Died of Alzheimer, a disease that makes its victims lose their memory, June 5.

* Alistair Cooke, 95, veteran broadcaster and writer. Born in England and educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, March 31.

* Marco Pantiani, 36, Italian cycling star in a hotel room in Italy. He won the 1998 Tour de France Gurod Italia.

* Yassar Arafat, 75, Palestine president, died after a protracted illness, November 9.