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It was a bright Monday (April 18) morning and bubbly Folashade Adesina was in a joyful mood. Of course she had every cause to be as her fiancé, Adefemi Olubayo, was on his way home from Greece to finalise the details of his marriage scheduled for May 26.
He had called her the previous night and reassured her about their future together as husband and wife and she eagerly awaited his arrival.
She thus went to the market in the morning to buy foodstuff to prepare her fiancé’s food because Olubayo wanted stew cooked with Ogufe (goat meat) on arrival from Greece in the evening.
Folashade was cooking Olubayo’s food in their new apartment in Egbeda area of Lagos between 1pm and 2pm when her world came crashing down. Their pastor, Ola Akintomide, called her to inform her of her fiancé’s death.
The 25-year-old Nigeria and Skoda Xanthi of Greece defender died after reportedly losing control of his car on his way to catch a flight to Nigeria to finalise details of his upcoming wedding. Greek traffic police said the player’s vehicle struck the dividing bar on the highway and flipped over on the opposite lane in the early hours of Monday morning.
But Folashade would have none of that.
“Initially I thought it was a joke. I felt my pastor wanted to know if I really loved him,” the part two Mass communications undergraduate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, told our correspondent at Oke- Aro, Ogun State, in an emotion-laden voice on Wednesday.
“However, when I realised it was true, I asked myself, ‘why Bayo?’ I would have preferred he didn’t marry me and lived because he had a lot of dreams and ambitions and I loved him. He was too nice to die like that and at such an age.
“I just wish this is dream so that someone could wake me up. I still can’t believe that my Bayo is gone.”
Immediately she got the news, she relocated to her cousin, Lara’s apartment in Oke-Aro to avoid the horde of sympathisers who kept coming and calling.
Folashade said they had begun preparations in earnest ahead of the wedding. She disclosed that they agreed on a ‘small’ wedding and even had to shift the date forward from May 28 to May 26 to avoid crowd.
“He took permission for one week from his club to come to Nigeria for the introduction and other rites before the marriage.
“We had bought our traditional wears and headgears for the introduction and the traditional marriage. Bayo had even bought his own suit. I had made part payment for my gown and aso-oke. Bayo doesn’t like the flashy lifestyle just like me, so we decided to make it a small wedding.”
Besides that, they had paid N40, 000 for the use of Kanyinsola Event Centre on the Lagos- Abeokuta Expressway, just before Dopemu Bus Stop. They had also rented an apartment at Rose Garden Estate at Mosan in Egbeda area of Lagos for N873, 000 but now she is in a fix.
“We rented the house because I didn’t like the idea of him sleeping in hotels while in Lagos. We have not even packed in; I just bought a few things that would allow us stay when he came down. He also bought a television.
“I can’t stay in the house now because it will bring back memories of him. Even his SMS messages keep reminding me of him; it is killing. The apartment was leased to us by Jide Taiwo and Co and I hope they will refund the money.
“As for the wedding venue, I am yet to inform the people that it won’t hold again. How can I tell them that he (Olubayo) is dead?”
Ironically, there was a premonition of the death of the player, a 2005 U-20 World Cup finalist and a 2008 Olympic Games silver medallist.
Pastor Akintomide, who is with the Christ Apostolic Church, escaped death by a whisker in Ilesa, Osun State, on his way back from ‘the mountain’, where he had gone to pray for their successful wedding on Friday--two days before Olubayo’s death-- and asked Olubayo to fast and pray to avert any misfortune.
He said Olubayo’s death was caused by a ‘spiritual attack.’
“On my way back after praying for them, my front tyre, driver side, pulled and it took God’s intervention for me to be saved. It was the first time I would have an accident. I use brand new tyres; I have never used Tokunboh tyres before. Some of Olubayo’s friends have seen the car.
“Because of what happened to me, I told Bayo that when he eventually arrives on Monday, he shouldn’t go anywhere. But unfortunately, he didn’t arrive. We give glory to God but I know it is a spiritual attack,” Akintomide told our correspondent on the telephone on Wednesday.”
Also, Folashade’s cousin, Tope, who flew in from Abuja to console her, said she was disturbed after she had a frightening dream last week.
She said, “I don’t normally remember my dreams but on this night, I saw red colour in the background with R.I.P. boldly written in front. When I woke up, I was frightened and started praying.
“I felt it was because of the election and all that day I put all my relatives and friends in prayer so that God will guide them but I didn’t know this what was about to happen.”
Folashade too had signs. “The best time I had with him on phone since we started dating in July 2010 was on Sunday. He was very nice and told me several sweet things. The Bayo I know will always tell me that he was on his way coming but he didn’t tell me this time around.
“When I called his number that morning it was ringing but he didn’t pick, unlike him. But I was hopeful he was on his way,” Folashade said in tears.
Contrary to reports that she is pregnant, Folashade, who has refused to eat since on Monday when she got the news, says she is not.
“I am not pregnant and I don’t stay in Ogba. I don’t know where they got the news from,” she said.
She said her late fiancé was not a rough driver. “He never drove roughly when we went out or travelled together; he was a very confident driver.”
Xanthi officials, players and fans mourned the player on Tuesday at the club’s ground, Skoda Xanthi Arena. They laid wreath of flowers by Olubayo’s picture. Folashade said the club had also contacted her.
“His translator at the club, Christopher, called me today (Wednesday) to ask if I had official documents of our marriage because there is a certain amount of money which they wanted to give to Bayo for the wedding. He said if I can produce the documents, the club would send the money to me but I can’t lie. I told him we were only engaged,” Folashade said.
She summed up her relationship with the fallen Super Eagles defender. “Bayo was the best man in the world. With his death, truly I know that good people don’t last in this wicked world.”
Source : punchng.com
PS : Man proposes, God disposes. May the Almighty God console Folashade and give her a husband that will love her, cherish her, care for her more than OLubayo, and they shall live together till death do them part.
May the soul of Olubayo rest in perfect peace. Amen.
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