“I Read About Death the Night Before”: Mrs. Adenike Adesina Recalls Eerie LUTH Premonition of Mother’s Passing

LAGOS — For Mrs. Adenike Taiwo Adesina, February 13 is not just a date on the calendar; it is a timestamp of a spiritual mystery that changed her life forever.

Today, exactly 35 years after the passing of her mother, Mrs. Omolayo Deborah Adesida, Adenike has shared a chilling account of how the Holy Spirit seemingly prepared her for the devastating news while she was a student nurse at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

In a heartfelt tribute released to mark the anniversary, Adenike describes her late mother not just as a parent, but as a “Woman of Steel” whose unique disciplinary style and “extraordinary” business acumen shaped the lives of her six children.

The LUTH Premonition: February 1991

The year was 1991. Adenike was at LUTH for a posting in Modular Theater Management as part of her Peri-Operative Nursing course. On the night of February 12, 1991, alone in her room, she found herself studying a specific scripture: The death of the believer and what our attitude to it should be. “I had no slightest idea that I could lose my Mum at that time,” Adenike recalls. “Was the Holy Spirit preparing me for this news?”

The Dreaded Knock: Valentine’s Day Heartbreak

The confirmation came two days later, on February 14, 1991. The Director of Nursing summoned Adenike to her office. “I was ruffled, but on getting there I saw a familiar face—my MD’s driver. He came to pick me saying Mummy wants to see me.” Adenike knew immediately. “I felt chilled, goosebumps all over me. I couldn’t cry… my head and my mind were calculating what could have happened.”

Despite the driver refusing to confirm the news until they arrived in Ibadan, the “Woman of Steel” had indeed departed.

“Wam! Wam! Wam!”: The Silent Discipline

Beyond the tragedy, Adenike celebrates the unique way Mrs. Omolayo raised her children. She was a “disciplinarian” who abhorred public scenes. “She doesn’t yell or beat her children outside,” Adenike writes. Instead, the punishment was cold and calculated. “She’ll wake you up early in the morning and explain what you did wrong… Then the cane. Wam! Wam! Wam! Shi shi shi, no noise, no screaming. You then go out and do your chores.” This “silent discipline” ensured that no child disobeyed her twice. “She was particularly hard on me knowing that I have the tendency to be lazy in housework,” Adenike admits. “I wish she was alive now to see that I did not fail her.”

The “Gist Partner” and Provider

Mrs. Omolayo was not all steel; she was also a provider who ensured her children were the best dressed. “Clothing her children was her hobby,” Adenike notes. “We knew of a balanced diet from childhood; she was the best cook.”

More than a mother, she was a “gist partner” to Adenike and her sister, a confidant who made sure they lacked nothing despite modest means.

“A Ku Aseyinde Eni Rere”

In a deeply emotional counterpart to her twin sister’s narrative, Mrs. Adeyinka Kehinde Ikon focuses on the sheer force of their mother’s character. To Adeyinka, Mrs. Omolayo was not just a disciplinarian but a “protector” whose influence defied the “war” of the outside world.

“Mommy, your love is like no other. A force so pure, unwavering, and selfless,” Adeyinka wrote. “Your hands have wiped my tears. Your words have lifted my spirit, and your sacrifices have paved the way for my dreams.”

She credits her mother for teaching her “resilience in the face of adversity” and “compassion in a world that often forgets.” “Your love was the foundation on which every one of us is standing today,” Adeyinka affirmed. “Your wisdom guides us even when we falter.”

Both sisters agree on one thing: Mrs. Omolayo was a master of “silent discipline.” Adenike vividly recalls the mornings of correction. “She doesn’t yell or beat her children outside. She’ll wake you up early… explain what you did wrong… then the cane. Wam! Wam! Wam! No noise, no screaming.”

Yet, she was also their “gist partner,” a fashionista who ensured her children were always the best dressed, and a cook who taught them the value of a balanced diet long before it was trendy.

A Twin Legacy

As the twins mark this 35th anniversary, their tributes merge into a singular message of gratitude. “Thank you for being our mother,” Adeyinka concludes. “You are my forever source of inspiration.” “Sleep on, beloved Mum,” adds Adenike. “You deserve the best.”