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PHOTOS: Sanwolu, others extol Murtala Muhammed
L-R: Major-General Ahmed Taiwo, Rtd., representing the family of Late Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo; Hon. Bola Oladunjoye, Chairman, Ikoyi-Obanlende LCDA; Senator Daisy Danjuma; His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor; Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, CEO, Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF); and Mr. Gbenga Oyebode (MFR), Chairman of the Board of Directors, Lafarge Africa Plc, during the Official Wreath-Laying Ceremony in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of late General Murtala Muhammed, GCFR, at his cenotaph in Ikoyi… on Friday.
It was a solemn moment of national reflection as the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside members of the family of the late former Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, gathered at the official Wreath-Laying and Remembrance Ceremony, to commemorate 50 years of his passing.
The memorial ceremony, which held at the General Murtala Ramat Muhammed Cenotaph, Ikoyi, the site where General Muhammed was killed, brought together senior government officials, representatives of the Nigerian Army, members of the diplomatic corps, and other distinguished guests.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, daughter of the late General and Chief Executive Officer of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF), reflected emotionally on the personal loss her family endured, noting that the pain of losing her father at the age of 12 still resurfaces five decades later.
“We stand here not just to lay a wreath, but to lay down our gratitude. Fifty years is a long time in the life of a nation, and also in the lives of the children who lost their father that day. This moment is about gratitude,” she said.
His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor, with the family of the Late General Murtala Muhammed, during the Official Wreath-Laying Ceremony in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of late General Murtala Muhammed, GCFR, at his cenotaph in Ikoyi… on Friday.
Dr. Muhammed-Oyebode further described the late General as a timeless symbol of principled and courageous leadership, a man who believed firmly that leadership is a sacred duty.
“General Murtala Muhammed stood for courage, decisive leadership and an unshakeable belief in Nigeria’s potential. Today’s remembrance is not only about honoring his memory, but about recommitting ourselves to the ideals he lived and died for — service, integrity and national unity,” she said.
Beyond Nigeria’s borders, Dr. Muhammed-Oyebode spoke of her father’s lasting influence across Africa, particularly in Angola, where Nigeria played a key role in supporting the country’s independence struggle under General Muhammed’s leadership.
In his tribute, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu described the late General as a rare and exceptional Pan-Africanist whose leadership helped reshape Nigeria’s political and administrative landscape.
“He was a leader who governed with courage, compassion, dignity, and an unwavering sense of purpose, always putting Nigeria first. We lost one of Africa’s finest Pan-Africanists and a leader who achieved so much within an incredibly short time,” Sanwo-Olu said.
L-R: Daugthers of the Late General Murtala Muhammed, Iman Adeosun-Awopeju, Fatima Murtala Muhammed, and Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, the CEO, Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF); His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor; Senator Daisy Danjuma; Mrs Nike Olujembola; and Mr. Gbenga Oyebode (MFR), Chairman of the Board of Directors, Lafarge Africa Plc, during the Official Wreath-Laying Ceremony in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of late General Murtala Muhammed, GCFR, at his cenotaph in Ikoyi… on Friday.
Also speaking, Major General (Rtd.) Ahmed Taiwo, representing the family of the late Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo, described him as a fearless and principled leader who dismissed warnings about threats to his life.
“When he was told that some people were planning against him, he waved it aside and said, ‘Let them plan; good luck if they can run the country.’ These were men in a hurry to make an impact—and they did, in just 200 days,” he said.
The Remembrance and Honour Ceremony concluded with renewed calls for Nigerians — particularly leaders at all levels — to draw inspiration from General Murtala Muhammed’s life of service, patriotism and sacrifice, and to uphold the values of integrity, discipline and national unity that he championed.
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Alhaja (Princess) Rafatu Ademinure Awofisayo, the last surviving child of the 48th Ooni of Ife, Oba Ademiluyi Ajagun Lawarikan I, has passed away at the age of 102.
It was reports that she died peacefully in early April 2026, according to family sources.
Reacting to her death, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, described her passing as the close of a long chapter in the town’s history. In a statement through his media office, he spoke about her role in preserving her father’s legacy and her efforts in promoting unity among people of different beliefs in the community.
Princess Awofisayo was born into the Otutu Royal Compound of the Lafogido Ruling House in Ile-Ife.
She remained the only surviving direct child of her father, who ruled between 1910 and June 1930.
With her passing, many see it as the end of a living link between present-day Ile-Ife and its early 20th-century royal history.
She started her education at Salvation Army Elementary School in Ile-Ife and later continued at Saint Paul’s Anglican Church Elementary School in Aiyegbaju, Olopo, after her father’s death. She was raised by her mother, Olori Elizabeth Odunlade Ige Ademiluyi, and became involved in small-scale trading from a young age, dealing in items such as mats, kolanuts and palm oil.
In 1942, she got married to the late Alhaji Jimoh Elutide Awofisayo, a farmer and cocoa trader from Ilode in Ile-Ife. Over time, she became well known within the Muslim community in Ifeland and held several titles, including Iya Adinni, which was her most recognised position.
She is survived by six children, along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family has not yet announced details of her burial.
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