House On The Rock pastor dies of COVID-19 infection

Yinka Akinbami, a pastor at Lagos-based church House On The Rock, has died after testing positive for COVID-19.

Pastor Yinka Akinbami died on Friday, 8 January 2021 but it is unclear for how long he battled the vicious COVID-19 virus before his demise.

Announcing his death via social media, Paul Adefarasin, Founder & Senior Pastor of the House On The Rock church said; “I received the rude and shocking news of someone deeply dear to me and all of the HOTR family. The passing of Pst Yinka Akinbami has become most painful because if there truly were good men, he was certainly one.”

Adefarasin mentioned that the late pastor Yinka Akinbami is survived by Pastor Tolu, his wife of 30 years. He also has children, children-inlaw, and grandchildren that will carry on his legacy.

Acknowledging the limit of his pain, he continued; “We can only at best imagine how much pain they are feeling. We share the pain of his loss but they will feel it a lot more.”

Akinbami had been with House On The Rock church for more than 25 years. He served as the church’s Family Life Directorate where he coached men and women on how to lead exemplary lives and build their families as well.

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“Egbon Yinka,” Paul Adefarasin continued in his tribute. “Your sudden passage is hard to understand, yet we bow respectfully to the sovereignty of God while we remain thankful for the decades of impactful work along with the exemplary life you lived while you were with us.

“As a dear egbon to me, even though you were older, we were close friends and I thank you for allowing me to be your pastor and spiritual father. The thought that I will return to church and not see you again on this side of the divide, is unbelievable. I have not been able to process this loss. However, I am sure of how much we will all miss you.”

In addition to his tribute, the founder of the House On The Rock church seized the opportunity to warn the public about the dangers of COVID-19. He tweeted:

It’s important to remind the community about the deadly nature of the Covid-19 and its mutant virus strains. Pls do your part by following all the recommended precautions. That way, you are able to protect yourself and others who become proximal to you. God bless and keep us all.

— Paul Adefarasin (@pauladefarasin) January 9, 2021

The number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow in Nigeria. As of Saturday, 9 January 2021, the NCDC reported 1,585 new cases in Nigeria totalling 99,063 confirmed cases.