Nigerian comedian and actor John Okafor, affectionately known as Mr Ibu, will be buried on 28 June – three months after his death.
This is according to a family statement released this week, revealing how and when the eleborate funeral ceremony will take place.
MR IBU FUNERAL DETAILS
The veteran Nollywood actor passed away on 2 March at the age of 62 due to a heart attack.
“The Okafor family in Eziokwe Amuri, Nkanu West LGA in Enugu State wishes to honour the loving memory of our hero and a legend John Ikechukwu Okafor who even in death has left a legacy of love, laughter and liveliness,” read the statement, as quoted by Nigerian publication PM News.
“We would appreciate your esteemed presence as we lay to rest our son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and in-law on the 28th of June 2024.”
According to the funeral and burial arrangements, the ceremony will begin on 25 June with a high-profile novelty match. On 26 June, there will be a session called “Mr Ibu’s Night”, which involves a candlelight procession and live entertainment.
Day three of the ceremony, on 27 June, will see a Christian Wake-Keep which will be held at Mr Ibu’s compound in Eziokwe Amuri, Nkanu West, while the funeral service takes place on 28 June.
The five-day burial ceremony will wrap up on Sunday, 30 June, with a Church Thanksgiving for family members, friends, and well-wishers.
FAMILY EXPLAINS WHY MR IBU WILL BE BURIED MONTHS AFTER HIS PASSING
According to The La Nouvelle Tribune, Mr Ibu’s elder brother, Sunday Okafor, said the family decided to deliberately delay the actor’s funeral as they are determined to offer him a tribute befitting his status as a cinematic icon.
He further said that this decision also emphasises the importance of celebrating his brother’s life rather than hastily bidding him farewell.
OTHER HIGH-PROFILE NIGERIANS BURIED WEEKS OR MONTHS AFTER THEIR DEATH
While burying a loved one months or weeks after their death is taboo in many countries, it is not frowned upon in some parts of Nigeria.
In 2016, when former Nigerian football team coach Stephen Keshi died on 7 June, he was buried on 28 July that year after three days of burial rites.
Another prolific figure, controversial pastor TB Joshua, died on 5 June 2021 and was buried on 9 July that same year after his burial rites lasted five days.
WHY DO SOME NIGERIANS DELAY BURIALS?
According to The Guardian Nigeria, however, there is no cultural significance to the delays or prolonged preparations for funerals.
The publication reported that in some communities or villages (especially in the southeast) the members have to give an approval date for the burial. After that different groups and societies start making demands on things to be done or performed before they can grant that the burial be carried out.
The publication further revealed that sometimes it is the families of the deceased who make things difficult for themselves by trying to outdo others in the manner they bury their loved ones. Some only go through with the burial when they have constructed or renovated their houses.
However, this is in contrast to an article by Myend, which reveals that the magnitude of Igbo funerals depends on the age grades or the position of the deceased within their community.
The Igbo tribe (which Mr Ibu was a part of) have what they call ‘Ikwa ozu’ – which means “celebrating the dead” and is also referred to as the second burial. This ceremony may take place anytime from weeks to a year after the first burial. According to Igbo traditions, funerals are also a rite of initiation of the dead to the group of their ancestors. It is believed that if the Ikwa ozu does not take place, they will not be accepted by their ancestors.
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