Lagos: Hotelier slumps, dies at wife’s 60th birthday thanksgiving

A prominent Lagos hotelier, Otunba Kunle Akinyele, died suddenly on Saturday after collapsing during a church thanksgiving held to celebrate his wife’s 60th birthday.

The tragic incident occurred at Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Iyanu, Odemuyiwa District Headquarters, in Egbeda, Lagos State.

In a now-viral video shared on Facebook by Ayoade Ojeniyi on Sunday, Akinyele was captured seemingly gesturing for help, possibly asking for water or an inhaler, before slumping in the middle of his testimony.

The video showed the late businessman visibly distressed and gesticulating moments before he collapsed.

The thanksgiving service was held in honour of his wife, Deaconess Catherine Adejoke Akinyele. A reception had been scheduled to follow immediately at Noble Castle Events Centre in Igando.

One of the event vendors, who shared their experience on Facebook, revealed that they had arrived at the reception venue by 10am for a party that was billed to commence at 2pm.

The celebrant, her husband, their children, and guests had earlier gone to the church for the thanksgiving and were expected to head to the reception afterwards.

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Those plans were, however, disrupted when news broke that Akinyele had collapsed in church. Efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

“Variety of foods were set, decoration, cocktail, emu oguro, and many more,” the vendor wrote, explaining that the live band had already arrived and mounted about 25 speakers.

Still reeling from the shock, the vendor added that the Master of Ceremony had spoken with Akinyele around 1:23 pm, but less than an hour later, the devastating news of his death had emerged.

The reception was immediately cancelled, and guests were seen departing the venue in confusion and disbelief.

“This is how people die?” the vendor lamented in the post.

“I can’t possibly ask for my balance for the job,” the vendor added.

As of the time of this report, the exact cause of death had yet to be officially confirmed.

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