It was a sober moment as family, friends, colleagues and sympathisers gathered in Lagos to bid the late Remilekun Toyosi Meshioye, a Nigerian citizen, died aboard Egyptair on Sept. 4, 2023 in Cairo, bye as her remains were finally laid to rest.
In a statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) who represented Abike Dabiri-Erewa at all three-day burial programmes, expressed the condolences of the Commission to the family saying “words alone cannot erase the pain her death has brought to the family”.
At a short service at the grave side in Matori cemetery, Lagos, presiding Pastor of Winners Chapel, Pastor Seyi Elliott, said though her life was cut short, everyone should take solace in the fact that she lived an impactful and Godly life while on the earth.
Her eldest sister, Mrs Oluwakemi Shilgba, who coordinated the burial programmes, said Remilekun was a daughter full of faith and wisdom and always ready to sacrifice for others even at her own expense.
Friends, colleagues and other family members also paid glowing tributes on the personality of Remilekun, describing her as a rare gem who has a kindest soul and a heart of gold. “Your loss, so shocking and has hit all of us, so hard”.
The three-day programme coordinated by her elder sister, Mrs Oluwakemi Shilgba, started with the receiving the body from Cairo at Muritala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos.
Thereafter, a service of songs at the Winners Chapel Ogba, Lagos was organised in her honour where family and friends paid their last respect on the deceased.
The body was finally interred at the Matori Cemetery Ladipo near Oshodi Bus Terminus, Lagos after a short exhortation at the grave side .
It would be recalled that the family has decided to repatriate the body of late Remilekun back home for burial following the refusal of Egyptair management to accept full responsibility to what happened to its passenger.
The family, as represented by Mrs Lola Olaniyi-Alabi has written series of petitions to Egyptair and its management but has refused to even condole them up till this moment let alone accept the responsibility of bringing the corpse and luggages back until the family paid for the repatriation of the body.
Similarly, the Egyptair management has also refused to respond to letter written to it by NIDCOM to seek for clarification on the matter and do the needful for the family.
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa Chairman/CEO, NiDCOM, has once again offered her condolences to the family over the unfortunate incident and prayed to God to comfort them especially her aged father and siblings and grant the deceased eternal peaceful rest .
Remilekun, 41, tragically lost her life on the 4th of September 2023 aboard Egyptair in Cairo on her way from Lagos to London for further studies. She was survived by her aged father, Elder Israel Meshioye (JP) and her siblings both in Nigeria and abroad.