Fresh details have emerged explaining why Nigerian highlife music icon Mike Ejeagha was buried just one day after his death.
Ejeagha, famed for his timeless folk classic “Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo”, passed away on Friday night, June 6, 2025, at the age of 95.
He was quietly laid to rest the following day, Saturday, June 7, in his hometown of Umuagba, Imezi-Owa, located in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the late musician’s eldest son, Emmanuel Ejeagha, said the swift burial was in strict accordance with the singer’s final wish.
“My father made it clear before his death that he did not want to be embalmed. He sternly instructed me, as his first son, that once he passed on, he should be buried within 24 hours. We have honoured that wish,” Emmanuel said.
He explained that the family decided after consulting both extended relatives and community leaders.
“I contacted members of my family and informed them that my father made a wish that he should be laid to rest 24 hours after his death. I also summoned a meeting of my kindred and we discussed extensively. Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah was informed about it and they all consented that whatever was his wish should be kept,” he added.
“There are a lot of consequential results if an elder said something and otherwise was done,” he noted.
The family also revealed that a formal funeral ceremony and celebration of life will be organised at a later date, allowing friends, fans, and well-wishers to honour the life and legacy of the highlife maestro.
Mike Ejeagha, known for his deep storytelling and proverbs embedded in traditional Igbo music, leaves behind a rich legacy that has inspired generations of musicians and preserved cultural heritage through sound.
