Abuja, Nigeria – In a solemn announcement, it has been reported that the remains of the revered Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Abdulrahman Ado-Ibrahim, were en route from Abuja to Okene, where he is to be laid to rest. The burial ceremony is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. today, Sunday, in Okene.
The Secretary of the Ebira Traditional Council, who confirmed this, stated, “We are waiting for the arrival of the corpse from Abuja, where he passed away.” The paramount ruler, who had been receiving treatment for an age-related ailment in an undisclosed hospital in Abuja, breathed his last around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday.
The news of his death has cast a shadow over Ebiraland, with the secretary expressing profound sorrow, calling it a “very sad and a big blow” to the community. He remembered Ado-Ibrahim as a beloved father and leader not only to Ebiraland but to the entire Kogi State and Nigeria as a whole. “His death has left a vacuum in the entire Ebiraland,” he lamented.
The remains of the late traditional ruler are expected to arrive in Okene for his final interment.
Abdulrahman Ado-Ibrahim, born on February 7, 1929, served as the fourth traditional ruler and Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, with headquarters in Okene, Kogi State. He was the son of the second Attah (now “Ohinoyi”) of Ebiraland, Ibrahim Onoruoiza of the Omadivi Clan, who reigned from 1917 to 1954. Ado-Ibrahim ascended to the throne as the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in 1997 and held this esteemed position until his passing on Sunday, October 29, 2023.
Prior to his reign, Ado-Ibrahim had a successful business career and had spent a significant portion of his life in Lagos.