House on the Rock pastor dies of coronavirus

Pastor Yinka Akinbami, from one of the most popular churches in Lagos, House on the Rock has died from the novel Coronavirus.
Akinbami, an elder at the church died on Saturday, January 9, 2021 after contracting COVID-19.

Head Pastor of House on the Rock, Paul Adefarasin confirmed the passing of Akinbami on his social media pages.

"Yesterday, I received the rude and shocking news of someone deeply dear to me and all of the House on the Rock family. The passing of Pastor Yinka Akinbami has become most painful because if there truly were good men, he was certainly one," Adefarasin said in his statement.

"Egbon Yinka, 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."

Pastor Akinbami spent over 25 years with House on the Rock and was until his passing, serving in the Family Life Directorate where he coached young people on building families.

Pastor Akinbami is survived by his wife of over 20 years, Pastor Tolu, his children, children-inlaw, and grandchildren.

A host of House on the Rocks members also took to Twitter to mourn the pastor's passing.

"Pastor Yinka Akinbami. One of the loveliest men I ever knew from a distance. This one hurts," sports journalist Ifreke Inyang wrote on Twitter.

Nigeria is currently battling the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic with more cases recorded in the past month than any other time.

Pastor Adefarasin also, in his statement, urged his followers to follow recommended precautions against the virus.

"It's important to remind the community about the deadly nature of Covid-19 and its mutant virus strains," the popular pastor said.

"Please do your part by following all the recommended precautions. That way, you are able to protect yourself and others who become proximal to you."