Commercial activities were grounded for several hours in the ancient city of Ibadan as it literally stood still in honour of the Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land, Abdul Azeez Arisekola – Alao as his remains were buried amidst wailing and crying.
The main bowl of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex where prayers were held for the late Islamic leader was thronged by eminent personalities from across the country, representatives of the Federal Government, politicians, religious leaders, community leaders, artisans and many others.
The body of the late business mogul and philanthropist, which was flown in to the country from the United Kingdom, was received at the Ibadan end of the Lagos-Ibadan toll gate by Governor Abiola Ajimobi, his wife, Florence and other dignitaries.
The late mogul’s children, some of his associates and religious leaders including the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Kola Daisi, Mr. Oba Otudeko, Chief Ebenezer Obey, Justice Bola Babalakin, Gen. David Jemibewon, Gen. Raji Rasaki, Chief Yekini Adeojo, Senator Teslim Folarin, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu were also present to receive the body, after which it was taken to the Lekan Salami Sports Complex.
A Presidential envoy was led by the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Abdul Jeleel Adesiyan, the Minister Of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.
Clerics from all the states in the South-West led by the President-General, League of Imams and Alfas in the Yoruba speaking states, were also at the stadium.
Some of the people who thronged the stadium to pay their last respect to the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, could not hold back their tears, as his corpse arrived the sports complex at exactly 10.05 A.M.
In his sermon during Islamic rites, the Chief Missioner Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdur- Rahman Ahmad enjoined all present to emulate the rare virtues embodied by the late Arisekola even as he described the vacuum created by his death as monumental.
Shortly after prayers were said, Arisekola’s corpse was moved to his Oluwo Kekere residence at Bashorun Area of Ibadan with a select group of mourners where it was interred.
Speaking at the occasion, Governor Abiola Ajimobi extolled the virtues of the late religious leader, describing him as a philanthropist of philanthropists, who served the poor and also helped the rich during his lifetime.
According to him, “Aare was to the Nigerian masses what the late President Nelson Mandela was to South Africans. He served the poor and helped the rich. He came to serve humanity and served them to his very last”.
“He was accommodating, spiritual, religious and intelligent. He had been serving the poor from the age of 19. He was the greatest philanthropist of our time. Aare gave everything he had for the benefit of the people,’’ he remarked.
The secretary of ALGON in the state, Prince Abass – Alesinloye who spoke on behalf of the 33 local government transition chairmen in the state also described Arisekola as a rare giver who was blunt and accommodating.