Nigeria’s leading digital daily newspaper, News Express, has lost one of its biggest fans in the person of Pa Matthew Olajide Akinwale.

The veteran Bible Student who preferred to be addressed as Brother Akinwale, died on December 5, 2025 at the age of 90 and was buried yesterday, Thursday, January 15, 2026.

His Memorial Discourse held at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Ajuwon, Ogun State, drew a large crowd of mourners. Despite being a working day, 815 mourners turned up to honour the late former missionary, over 300 of them joining via video link.

In the Memorial Discourse, Brother Olusegun Eroyemi, a member of the Nigerian Bethel Family in Igieduma, Edo State, described the late Brother Akinwale as a well reputed evangeliser who strongly believed in the biblical hope of a resurrection and endless life in a paradise earth soon to be restored by means of God’s Kingdom.

Testifying during the discourse, Brother Isaac Agbefeyitimi, a bosom friend of the late Akinwale, spoke of how they met when he (Agbefeyitimi) was aged 11 and how Akinwale, then a travelling overseer of Jehovah’s Witnesses, helped him to become a dedicated and baptised servant of Jehovah God, after which they forged a lifelong friendship that lasted several decades. “He cared very much and always asked about my welfare,” an emotional Pa Agbefeyitimi told the full house of mourners.

A zealous preacher of the good news of God’s Kingdom, Brother Akinwale wrote several articles for News Express. While some of them are awaiting publication, three others were published late last year, namely:

Why Jesus' second presence cannot be physical https://newsexpressngr.com/news/260699/why-jesus-second-presence-cannot-be-physical

From where will Jesus reign for one thousand years? https://newsexpressngr.com/news/263508/from-where-will-jesus-reign-for-one-thousand-years

Why it is very important to come out of Babylon the great https://newsexpressngr.com/news/271354/why-it-is-very-important-to-come-out-of-babylon-the-great

Born on March 28, 1935, the late Matthew Olajide Akinwale came from a family of idol worshippers but converted to Christianity at a young age. He was baptised at a district convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Ibadan in 1951.

A teacher by career, young Matthew Olajide Akinwale later became a fulltime evangeliser. He served in the Lagos, Nigeria Bethel from 1964 but was invited to attend the Bible School of Gilead in the United States the following year. A multi-linguist who spoke Yoruba, English, Pidgin and French, Brother Akinwale served as a missionary in Cameroon.

Following the ban on the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses in that country, he returned to Nigeria in 1970 and continued his zealous service.

He also started a family after marrying his heartthrob, Florence Oladunni, whom he met during his missionary work in Cameroon.

Pa Akinwale is survived by his wife, six children, numerous grandchildren and a multitude of relatives.

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