Two pastors of the First Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) perish in a fatal road accident in Kogi State.
According to TodayNG, even when a minister mounted the rostrum with some soothing words of comfort, admonishing the congregation to bless God in all things, the Lord gives and he takes, faint hisses broke the serenity of the hitherto cold silence.
Their misery began on Friday, March 24, when their pastor, who had prayed against accident in an early morning prayer before embarking on the journey to renovate his house in his village where his late mother would be buried, met his death along with his assistant.
The journey ended for the duo as they lost their lives in an accident on their way to Mopa in Mopa Moro local council of Kogi State. Both pastors, described as inseparable in life, were also inseparable even in death. They had set out on the fateful day without any premonition of what was ahead. Sadly, it turned out to be their last journey on earth.
Revd. Elijah Jonigbosaye was until his death was the head pastor of the First Evangelical Church of West Africa, Lokoja. He was assisted by Pastor Sunday Obadofin. Jonigbonsaye was preparing for the burial of his late mother scheduled for April 20. He was travelling home with two workers to renovate his house ahead of the burial.
According to the Church Secretary, Obadofin decided to seize the opportunity of the trip to check on his family at Mopa. About 20km from Lokoja, at Itakpe Irepeni, along Okene-Lokoja road, the car they were traveling in had a burst tire and their Mitsubishi Lancer rammed into a motorcyclist from where their car veered off to have a head-on collision with an oncoming Toyota Siena bus.
The four occupants of the Mitsubishi Lancer all died on the spot as the car was damaged beyond repairs. The two workers traveling with the pastors were immediately buried same day according to Islamic rite, while the 52-year-old Jonigbonsaye and 36-year-old Obadofin were laid to rest on Friday, March 31.