83-Year-Old Man Buried With His Two Loves
Some passions live on long after life itself has ended.
That truth was poignantly illustrated in Onitsha, Anambra State, as 83-year-old Mr Peter Chuka Nwalie Ojekwe, fondly known as Jimmy London, was laid to rest with two items that defined his life: the Holy Bible and a copy of the Vanguard Newspaper.
Mr Ojekwe was buried following a funeral service at St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Onitsha, with the Thursday, 11 December 2025 edition of Vanguard placed inside his coffin, a final tribute to his lifelong devotion to news, knowledge and national affairs.
Speaking at the funeral, his son, Mr Nworah Ojekwe, a legal practitioner, revealed that his late father maintained a personal newspaper vendor for decades, insisting on Vanguard alone until his final days.
A retired Nigerian diplomat who served in Rio de Janeiro before retiring in 2000, Mr Ojekwe believed Vanguard offered the most credible analysis of Nigeria’s political and economic landscape.
Family members described reading the newspaper as a daily ritual for the deceased, noting that visitors to his home would always find a fresh copy waiting in his sitting room, which he freely shared after reading.
Beyond newspapers, Mr Ojekwe was a lover of classical literature, with favourite works including William Shakespeare, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, My Odyssey by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and the Bible.
The burial attracted a large crowd and featured colourful cultural displays, including the rare Ijele masquerade, as members of the American Quarters Community and other well-wishers paid their last respects.
Dignitaries at the event included former Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikechukwu Aduba, former Nigerian Army spokesman, General Eche Chukwuma, Hon Justice Ozoh, and notable Onitsha social figures.
In his sermon, Venerable Ifeanyi Azubike described the late Ojekwe as a man who lived a peaceful and purposeful life, urging Christians to prioritise righteousness over material pursuits.
Mr Peter Ojekwe is survived by his wife, Mrs Obiageli Ojekwe, four children and five grandchildren.
The ceremony was anchored by veteran Onitsha master of ceremonies, Comrade Nwolu Odiamma.
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