A funeral service in Ise-Ekiti turned dramatic last Friday when mourners openly protested against what they described as “commercial exploitation” by a clergyman during the burial of Mrs. Kehinde Adebowale Ajifolawe, popularly known as Kenny Ise.
Kenny, a politician, trader, and women’s leader in Ekiti politics, was described as a fearless, loyal, and outspoken ally by former Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who attended the service.
Ojudu, who later shared his experience in a Facebook post on Monday titled “The Day Mourners Rebelled in Church,” recounted how the officiating reverend repeatedly demanded financial donations during the solemn ceremony.
According to him, mourners were asked up to four times to contribute money, including separate envelope offerings. The situation took an ugly turn when two of the deceased’s nieces—representing her children—announced a ₦200,000 donation to the church.
Instead of appreciating the gesture, Ojudu said the reverend frowned and declared the amount “too small,” leaving the young girls humiliated before the congregation.
“I had to stand up and add to the donation just to save them from embarrassment,” Ojudu wrote.
The former presidential adviser said the incident provoked outrage among attendees, many of whom shouted in protest and began to walk out of the church.
“Why are you doing this? Are we here to mourn or to buy?”
— one mourner was heard shouting.
Witnesses said the reverend, visibly embarrassed, struggled to control the situation as mourners condemned what they saw as the commercialization of sacred rites.
Ojudu described the scene as “chaotic and painful,” saying it reflected the moral decay creeping into Nigeria’s churches.
“What was once a refuge for the broken has become a marketplace,” he lamented. “The altar has turned into a cash point.”
He called on church leaders to rediscover compassion and humility, warning that if the church fails to reform, it risks losing its moral authority.
“When mourners revolt inside a church, it is not rebellion. It is a cry of conscience,” he said.
