CENIPLUG: Kefee given a queen’s burial in Sapele, Delta State

Monday, July 14, 2014

Kefee given a queen’s burial in Sapele, Delta State

Kefee's body leaves

The body of the late Pop-Gospel artist, Kefee (Irikefe Don-Momoh, nee Obareki) was given a queen’s burial on Friday in her hometown, Okpara Inland, Ethiope-East Local Government Area, Sapele, Delta State.

The whole town ground to a standstill as the body of their late daughter arrived Akpevwoghene Educational Centre, Okpara Inland, around noon in a white SUV with ‘Omega 1’ as the plate number.

She was also in a white casket and was laid in state in the middle of the school’s football field while friends and family paid their last respects. The casket was not immediately opened to the public but a funeral service was held in her honour while Sammie Okposo, his band and other Gospel artists took turns on the stage set up at the venue.

The husband, Teddy, clad in white had arrived earlier and received the body along with members of Kefee’s family. They first took her into one of the classrooms and said some prayers before taking the body to the centre of the field.

Photographers were asked not to take any pictures for a while as things were being organised. They were allowed to take shots and move around unhindered once things settled down.

A number of entertainers like DJ Gosporella, I Go Dye, Linda Etukudo, Nene SoulDiva, Anny Ibrahim, Princess, Aity Dennis, Daddy Showkey, Tosin Martins and Nikki Laoye were present at the funeral.

After the service, the body was then transported to the burial site nearby where a beautiful mausoleum had been erected and buried amidst tears from friends and well-wishers.

The parents, out of custom, were forbidden to either witness the funeral service or see the dead body of their child.

Afterwards, in the evening, everyone regathered in Sapele for a celebratory event where the Gospel artists and a number of local upcoming artists performed till late into the night.

Kefee was a well-liked Pop-Gospel artist who had been active in the entertainment industry for the past ten years. She was born on Feb. 5, 1980 in Sapele, Delta State and was known as the Branama Queen, in reference to her debut hit track and album, ‘Branama’.

She also scored a hit with the track, ‘Kokoroko’, featuring Timaya and had four albums to her credit— ‘Branama’ (2003), ‘Branama 2’ (2005), ‘A Piece of Me’ (2009) and ‘Chorus Leader’ in 2013.

Kefee passed away on June 13, 2014, in the United States of America. She is survived by her husband, parents (both living), friends and well-wishers.