Osun couple die hours apart in tragic same-day loss

The Adegoke family of Erin-Osun, Osun State, was thrown into deep mourning on January 8, 2026, after a couple, Chief Adeyemi Olukayode Adegoke and his wife, Mrs Janet Mojirade Adegoke, died just hours apart in a tragic turn of events.

Chief Adegoke, a retired civil servant and community leader, was said to have suddenly developed complications at home and died in the arms of his last child before he could be rushed to the hospital.

While preparations were underway to take his remains to the mortuary, his wife, Janet, went to bathe and dress herself to accompany the process.

Moments later, she was found collapsed in their bedroom. She was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Her remains were taken to the mortuary shortly before those of her husband.

The couple was laid to rest on January 16 at St Matthias Anglican Church, Erin-Osun, where grief-stricken family members, friends and associates gathered in large numbers.

The church and canopies erected within the premises were filled to capacity as mourners wept openly during the solemn service.

In his sermon titled “Grief Not,” the Vicar, Ven. Kolawole Olaobaju, described the incident as painful and unprecedented but urged the congregation not to attribute the deaths to speculation or superstition.

He described the couple as devoted Christians who lived lives of service to God and humanity.

Opeyemi, the couple’s only daughter, said losing both parents on the same day had left her with immense pain and responsibility.

“I wonder how to walk this road without you both, but I know you would want me to be strong and carry on your legacy,” she said.

Chief Adegoke’s younger brother, Engr. Adebayo Adegoke, described the loss as unbearable, noting that the deceased was not just his elder brother but his twin and closest companion.

Tributes also poured in from relatives, colleagues, church members and community leaders, who described the couple as loving, generous and deeply committed to family and community development.

Chief Adegoke was the High Chief Aro of Erin-Osun, a former president of the University of Nigeria Alumni Association (Osogbo branch) and a prominent member of several social and religious organisations. Mrs Adegoke was a serving Osun State civil servant and a leader in church women’s organisations.

Speaking on behalf of the Elerin of Erin-Osun, Oba Yusuf Omoloye, community leaders praised Chief Adegoke’s contributions to peace, unity and development in the town, describing him as a selfless community man whose impact would be difficult to forget.