In a solemn and deeply moving atmosphere thick with reverence and nostalgia, the final homecoming rites for one of Nigeria’s most distinguished military officers and statesmen, the late Major General Paul Ufuoma Omu (Rtd.), OFR, commenced on Thursday, November 20, 2025, with a Service of Songs at the All Saints Anglican Church, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja. The event marked the formal beginning of a week-long series of ceremonies honoring a man whose life spanned eight decades of selfless service to Nigeria and his beloved Isoko people.
The church was filled to capacity as family members, comrades-in-arms, political heavyweights, traditional leaders, and ordinary citizens gathered to pay their respects to a man widely regarded as a bridge between Nigeria’s military past and its democratic present. The presence of such a broad spectrum of dignitaries underscored General Omu’s towering national stature and the profound respect he commanded across ethnic, religious, and professional divides.
Among the notable figures in attendance were former Chief of Defence Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia (Rtd.), who served alongside the deceased in the highest echelons of the Nigerian military; Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, representing Delta South Senatorial District; Honourable Jonathan Ukodhiko, member of the House of Representatives for Isoko North/South Federal Constituency; and Senator James Manager, a long-standing figure in Delta politics. Also present were the President-General of the Isoko Development Union (IDU), Professor Chris Akpotu; retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Felix Ogbaudu; poet and activist Dr. Ogaga Ifowodo; and, most poignantly, the wife of the deceased, former Senator Stella Omu, who sat composed yet visibly moved throughout the service.
The clergy, led by the Most Reverend E. E. Akanya and the Right Reverend Dr. O. O. Ajayi, conducted a service rich in scripture, hymns, and prayers. They beseeched God to grant eternal rest to the soul of the departed and to comfort the family in their hour of grief. The choir’s rendition of timeless Anglican hymns provided moments of transcendent beauty amid the sorrow, reminding mourners of the hope of resurrection.
Tributes poured in like a river, each speaker striving to capture the essence of a man whose life was a masterclass in duty, honor, and quiet strength. General Omu was described as “a courageous officer who never flinched in the face of danger,” “a forthright administrator who governed with fairness and vision,” and “a patriot whose love for Nigeria was matched only by his devotion to his Isoko roots.” One retired colonel, visibly emotional, recounted how the late general had mentored an entire generation of officers at the Command and Staff College, Jaji, instilling in them not just tactical acumen but an unbreakable moral compass.
Born on July 1, 1940, in the quiet town of Igbide in present-day Delta State, Paul Ufuoma Omu rose through the ranks of the Nigerian Army with distinction. His most prominent posting came between 1975 and 1978 when, as a young colonel, he was appointed Military Governor of the then South-Eastern State (now Cross River and Akwa Ibom States). During his tenure, he initiated sweeping reforms in education, healthcare, and infrastructure that are still spoken of with gratitude in Calabar and Uyo today. Roads, schools, and hospitals built under his administration laid foundational stones for development in a region emerging from the trauma of the Nigerian Civil War.
Later, as a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council during critical periods of military governance, General Omu played understated but pivotal roles in shaping Nigeria’s political transitions. His reputation for integrity made him one of the few officers trusted across dividing lines, whether between North and South, military and civilian, or majority and minority ethnic groups.
Yet those who knew him best insist that his proudest achievements lay closer to home. As the Olodi of Igbide Kingdom and Othuke of Isoko Nation, he carried the weight of tradition with grace. Between 2014 and 2015, as President-General of the Isoko Development Union, he spearheaded initiatives that brought scholarships to thousands of Isoko youths, built community halls, and fostered unity among a people historically prone to internal divisions. His home in Igbide, affectionately called Ufuoma House, became a place of pilgrimage for young men and women seeking counsel on everything from career choices to marital disputes.
General Omu breathed his last on April 29, 2025, at the age of 84, leaving behind a nation poorer for his absence but infinitely richer for his example. As one speaker put it, “He did not just pass through life; he left footprints on the sands of time—deep, indelible, and impossible to erase.”
The Abuja Service of Songs was only the opening chapter of an elaborate farewell befitting a man of his stature. The coming days will see tributes and ceremonies across multiple cities:
- Tuesday, November 25: Commemoration Service at St. Philips Anglican Church, Asaba, Delta State capital.
- Thursday, November 27: Public Lecture and Day of Tributes at Isoko House, Oleh, the administrative headquarters of Isoko nation.
- Friday, November 28: Lying-in-state and another Service of Songs in Isoko South Local Government Area.
- Saturday, November 29: The climax—lying-in-state at Ufuoma House, Igbide, followed by the funeral service at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Igbide, and interment at his ancestral compound.
- Sunday, November 30: A thanksgiving service at St. Andrew’s to celebrate a life well lived and to commit the family to God’s continued guidance.
As the congregation filed out of All Saints Anglican Church into the cool Abuja evening, there was a palpable sense that Nigeria had lost not just a soldier or a governor, but a moral anchor in turbulent times. Major General Paul Ufuoma Omu—soldier, administrator, community builder, husband, father, and grandfather—has gone to join the ancestors. But in the hearts of his people, in the institutions he helped shape, and in the countless lives he touched, his spirit marches on, erect and unbowed.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
