The families of Late Pa. Vincent Ukuli Bekenawei and Late Mrs. Boyemieghan Ukuli (née Ukulor) were joined by friends, community members from Gbaramatu Kingdom and other sympathisers in honour of the memory of their son, brother, uncle, father, and grandfather, Late Chief (Elder) Paul Tonbrapagha Ukuli, whose Service of Songs ceremony which held at his residence in Ekpan, Delta State, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

Despite the rains, guests defied the downpour to troop into the venue for the ceremony that was anchored by the Foursquare Gospel Church, Ekpan, under the leadership of Rev. (Dr.) Emmanuel Imeleye, alongside other ministers in attendance.

The brief ceremony featured the singing of congregational hymns, reading of Bible scriptures, presentation of the biography of the deceased, sharing of testimonials, exhortation, prayer for the family, among other activities.

Meanwhile, during their testimonies of the life lived by the Late Chief Ukuli, a member of the Foursquare Gospel Church, a family relative Mr. Gabriel Ukuli, and the Chairman of Kokodiagbene Community, Comrade Ark Selegha, all extolled the Late Ukuli as an exemplary leader worth emulating.

"Our elder, Chief Ukuli Paul, happened to be a very gentle man to the core. Each time that man comes to church, you see him as a very humble man, a very respectful man; he was a man of few words," said a member of the Foursquare Gospel Church in his testimony, while also citing the steadfast commitment of the Late Ukuli to the things of God.

"And as we have all come here, we pray that we will live a life that is worthy of emulation, the kind of life that this man has led, we pray that everyone will live it in Jesus' name," he prayed.

For Gabriel Ukuli, he described the passing of his elder brother, who he said doubles as his father and guardian, "like a dagger to the heart" and the "burning down of an entire library, a library containing ancient wisdom, and of course, modern wisdom" due to the vast accumulated knowledge the deceased possessed in dealing with family issues, community matters, and life generally.

"Paul Ukuli is a unifying factor in every family gathering, small or big you will see him there... Paul Ukuli was always present in my life and in most recent times, whenever I will go out, and I'm with him, I am very confident.

"I would really miss him, his great wisdom, his personality... Paul Ukuli has proven himself within the community, across kingdoms; families will talk about him because of the role he played in our lives," Gabriel Ukuli, who is the Secretary of Kokodiagbene Community, confessed.

For the Chairman of Kokodiagbene, the Late Ukuli is the "Chief Librarian of the Kokodiagbene community, he is also a historian, he is a man who educates a lot of us..." and as a leader "who unifies the family, the pillar of the Bekenawei dynasty, and also the pillar of the Kokodiagbene community to the core."

He further lauded the late Amadiwei of Kokodiagbene Community as a great counselor who will be missed, and charged members of the community to rally round the family in support at the moment of grief.

"We, as Kokodiagbene people, need to rally around the family. We need to be with them, the children that are left behind, the legacies that he has left behind. We need to still look after the family, take care of them in all we do. We need to remember him in everything we do. He is a man that Gbaramatu Kingdom as a whole, will also miss," he added.

The Late Ukuli who passed away at the age of 59 years on Sunday, April 5, 2026, will be conveyed by 7:00am from the Safe Haven mortuary at Okumagba Avenue, Warri, to his hometown, Kokodiagbene Community, for a daytime funeral service, on Friday, May 8, 2026.

May his gentle soul rest in peace, Amen. View more photos here: 

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