“Why was she buried in Lagos?” – Onyeka Onwenu’s funeral attracts scrutiny

• The funeral of the legendary Onyeka Onwenu has sadly passed, but the location of her final resting place has ignited a storm of controversy online.
• It is bewildering to many why such a revered and iconic daughter of Igbo heritage, whose influence spanned across borders, would be laid to rest in Lagos rather than her native land

On Friday, August 30, 2024, Nigeria bid a somber farewell to its iconic music legend Onyeka Onwenu, known to many as the ‘Elegant Stallion.’

Her final journey saw her laid to rest in Lagos, with a funeral service at the Fountain of Life Church in Ilupeju, followed by a private burial in a vault in Ikoyi.

This choice of burial site has ignited a fierce debate online, as many grapple with the decision to inter such a monumental figure far from her ancestral home.

Onyeka Onwenu, whose roots trace back to Arondizuogu in Imo State, southeastern Nigeria, was deeply connected to the cultural and historical essence of her homeland.

The stark contrast between her illustrious heritage and the urban locale of Lagos has sparked a whirlwind of confusion and discontent among her admirers and the public.

Critics are questioning how such an esteemed daughter of the Igbo soil, whose cultural contributions transcend borders, could be laid to rest in a city so distant from her roots.

In her family’s defense, some argue that perhaps her marital ties to a Yoruba man  or her personal wishes played a role in this decision.

SEE REACTIONS BELOW

Many believed that the late entertainer never got married to any man, Onwenu’s memoir proved otherwise.

Onwenu, in an interview she granted years ago, said she married a man she fell in love with in 1984, and the marriage was blessed with two boys, Tijani and Ibrahim, who later changed his name to Abraham.

Few excerpts from the interview, reads;

“I am, perhaps for the very first time, setting the records straight concerning my connubial relationship. Yes, I was married. I married a man I fell in love with in 1984. We had two children Tijani and Ibrahim. My husband is Yoruba and was a Muslim when we met.”