WHEN THE MATRIARCH RESTS: THE LAST SONG OF MAMA KEKETOBU JANE KUKU
WHEN THE MATRIARCH RESTS: THE LAST SONG OF MAMA KEKETOBU JANE KUKU
There are lives that pass quietly, and there are lives whose departure leaves a sacred silence—one heavy with memories, gratitude, and reverence. The life of Mama Keketobu Jane Kuku (née Gbamilia) belongs to the latter.
At the noble age of 90, Mama Kuku answered the eternal call and gently laid down the burdens of time on 14th October, 2025. She did not leave in haste; she departed fulfilled. Born in 1935, her journey through nine decades was one marked by faith, dignity, resilience, and an unshakeable devotion to family and community.
To the Gbamilia and Kuku families, her passing is not merely the loss of a loved one—it is the closing of a chapter written with wisdom, sacrifice, and quiet strength. To the wider Arogbo-Ijaw community and beyond, it is the farewell of a woman whose life spoke louder than any public title.
Mama Keketobu Jane Kuku lived as a mother in the truest sense of the word—not only to those she bore, but to all who encountered her counsel, prayers, and gentle firmness. She walked with God, raised generations, and sowed values that outlived her physical presence. Her home was a sanctuary, her words were measured, and her legacy is indelible.
In gratitude to God for a life richly spent, the family has announced a five-day celebration of life, spanning Lagos, Akure, and Arogbo, designed not merely to mourn her passing, but to honour her story.
THE DRUMS BEGIN TO ROLL — LAGOS REMEMBERS
The final journey will first echo in Lagos, where Mama Kuku’s memory will be honoured on Thursday, 12th February, 2026. As dusk settles, a Social Wake will commence at Didi Mall by Borrowed Pit, adjacent Shoprite, Sangotedo, Ajah Lekki, from 7:00pm till dawn.
That night, music will rise like incense, led by Young King Iralatei Toikumoh, as family, friends, and well-wishers gather to recount stories, laughter, and tears—each moment affirming that Mama Kuku truly lived.
AKURE RECEIVES THE STORY — SONGS OF TRIBUTE
The celebration continues on Thursday, 19th February, 2026, in Akure, Ondo State, where another Social Wake will hold from 4:00pm to 12:00 midnight at Dedola Event Place, Alagbaka.
Here, the rhythms of remembrance will be carried by King Karinto Fokitei & His Settlement Band of Africa, joined by Erenatei Toikumoh. Akure will listen as a life story—rich, disciplined, and God-fearing—is told again through music and fellowship.
THE FINAL HOMECOMING — AROGBO AWAITS ITS DAUGHTER
On Friday, 20th February, 2026, the body of Mama Keketobu Jane Kuku will depart First Mercy Specialist Hospital’s Morgue, Gbagi, Akure, between 6:30am and 7:30am, beginning her final return to Arogbo Town, her ancestral home in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
That evening, Arogbo will stand still. From 8:00pm till dawn, a Social Wake will take place at Covenant Place, Tolukiribo Egbesubiri Quarters, with King Pereama Freetown lending his voice to a community’s collective farewell.
THE FINAL COMMENDATION — EARTH RETURNS WHAT HEAVEN LOANED
The solemn climax comes on Saturday, 21st February, 2026, when Mama Kuku will be committed to the earth she walked so faithfully upon. The Funeral Service will hold from 10:00am to 2:00pm at First African Church Mission, Egbesubiri Quarters, Arogbo, followed immediately by interment.
As tradition demands celebration after tears, a grand reception will follow from 4:00pm to 10:00pm at Covenant Place, with music by Chief Barrister S. Smooth, fondly known as The Paddle of Niger Delta—a fitting tribute to a woman whose life moved many currents.
THANKSGIVING — A LIFE SEALED WITH PRAISE
On Sunday, 22nd February, 2026, the family will return to God in thanksgiving. From 10:00am to 2:00pm, a Thanksgiving and Outing Service will hold at First African Church Mission, Arogbo, ministered by Prince Debo Ojubuyi (King of Zion Tunes), with soul-stirring support from Saxophonist Jeremiah.
The final reception will follow from 4:00pm to 10:00pm, with music by Jnr. King Alfred Izonebi, closing the ceremonies on a note of gratitude rather than sorrow.
At 8:00pm, an appreciation session will be led by Hon. Kingsley Kemaridaka Kuku, Esq., son of the deceased, The Agbagbatuwa Pouye (The Mighty Rock) of Arogbo Ijaw Kingdom, affirming that Mama Kuku did not raise children alone—she raised pillars.
A LEGACY THAT REFUSES TO DIE
Mama Keketobu Jane Kuku is survived by children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and half-blood siblings, all bound together by the values she planted. The funeral announcement is jointly made by Elder Akity Gbamilia and Elder Allen Abudu.
And so, the curtain falls—not on a life wasted, but on a life fulfilled.
Source: Arogbo-Ibe Voice Reporters
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