By Pastor (Mrs) Esther Olufunmilayo 

Aboderin (Nee Alegbeleye) was born on 18th May 1940 into the family of a cocoa merchant, the late Rev. Idowu and Jinatu Alegbeleye. Known by different names -Maami, Iya Ijesha, Iya Ijesha Olounje, Iya Alakara, and others – this reflects her industrious nature during her lifetime. She was the first surviving child after her father struggled with the loss of many children (abiku). She received her elementary education at Itaapa, a suburb of Ilesha, and learned sewing.

By chance, she met her husband, the late Rev. Dr. Ezekiel Olajide Aboderin, when he was assigned to Ilesha to work at a local primary school. Interestingly, the teacher was briefly hosted by her father, a lay-reader in the church, but she discovered that he neither ate nor cooked during the first few days after his arrival, having lost all his money during travel. On October 18, 1963, they were united in holy matrimony at St. John Church, Iloro, Ilesha, and the marriage was blessed with six children, all sharing the same prefix “Olu”.

Mama Aboderin was involved in fashion designing and petty trading for many years while living in the Bode and Elekuro areas of Ibadan. After relocating to Adesola in 1976, and as the area was still developing, her desire not to remain idle led her to undertake a programme that enabled her to become a school food vendor, working at Omoyeni Primary School, Olubadan Primary School, and S4 School 2 Primary School within the Adesola area. She also fried pufpuf and akara, which her children hawked at different times. At another time, during her and her husband’s posting to Modakeke, she was involved in trading used clothes bought from Aswani Market in Lagos. Recently, until her demise, she traded in soft drinks and water. Mama disliked being idle, and this is evident in how she worked tirelessly. 

Her conversion

After their return to Ibadan, Mama and Papa Aboderin joined Christ Church, Mapo, Ibadan, becoming active members of the church. However, in 1973, Mama Aboderin fell ill and was unable to move her neck. In pursuit of a remedy, her husband visited the Christian Church in Elekuro influenced by its message and gave his life to Christ. Miraculously, as days passed, he no longer remembered the reason he sought help, and Mama was equally surprised when she realised her sickness had disappeared during a subsequent visit two weeks later.

Subsequently, Mama chose not to join her husband in the newly founded faith, preferring to stay with her Anglican Church background. One Sunday, as Papa prepared to attend church, Mama also got ready and told him she would go with him to his new church. That day, she encountered Christ and surrendered her life to Him. She joined the Choir under the leadership of a prominent God’s general, who was also a close friend of her husband, late Pastor Richard Oyebamiji Ogunkunle, during the era of Pastor Samuel Kehinde Opadere. Although not extensively educated, Mama later became a Sunday School Teacher, a role she upheld for many years.

When Papa was posted to Modakeke, Mama accompanied him to serve in God’s work in the city between 1995 and 1998, especially during the Ife-Modakeke crisis. Throughout, Mama supported her husband’s ministry, whether as a part-time pastor or when he became a full-time pastor, especially when he received God’s call to establish Bride of Christ Gospel Church. Her support also facilitated housing for some persecuted sisters because of their faith in Christ within their family house in Adesola. She endured the greatest loss when her companion of fifty-eight years passed away on 10th February 2021. 

Her passage

Mama visited one of her children abroad, and what started as a minor sore eventually led to her hospitalisation in the city and further admission to UCH Ibadan. During these periods, Mama has strong faith that she will be healed and return to her usual self, but God has a better plan for her. Precisely on Friday, the 18th July 2025, two months after she celebrated her 85th birthday, Mama peacefully passed away in the arms of one of her children. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. May her soul continue to rest in perfect peace. Amen.