ASP celebrates birthday with widows, donates foodstuffs, cash

The dateline was the December 3, 2023. Mrs Bose Dominic, 57 years, stepped out from the congregation and walked to the podium of the Holy Unity Church of Christ, Okoya, Ajegunle, Lagos State, to thank Assistant Inspector of Police Daniel Ayomike, for gifting her and other 15 widows’ foodstuffs and cash.

But words failed her and tears filmed in her eyes, as she struggled with overwhelming emotions.

She sniffled, “Mr Daniel Ayomike, may Almighty God bless you for what you did for me and other widows. As I am speaking, there is no food in my house, nothing to eat! I didn’t know God would use somebody who didn’t know me and whom I had never met to help me. I was surprised when I heard someone was going to assist widows in this church. I quickly ran down here.

“I am a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, but it is not the church that one attends that matters, but a church that can touch lives and render assistance.”

Among the 16 beneficiaries of the food items and cash, Dominic is the most educated and her fluency in communication is stunning.

She studied Business Administration and then went on to study Catering and Hotel Management. She used to make beads which were shipped outside the shores of Nigeria and was known for her continental dishes. But everything turned sour after Mother Fortune seemed to turn her back on Dominic.

She said, “My husband married me traditionally and we also had a white wedding. However, he had a previous woman in his life. I thought everything was fine with every one of us, I didn’t know it was not so, not until he died.

“My husband’s children collected my car and kicked me and my only child out of the house. I didn’t know what to do, but I felt we could manage. My son got a job as a security guard and was supporting me with N30,000 and then suddenly he started having mental problem. He lost his job and to get help for him, I had to sell all my business equipment.”

Dominic said that if she could get financial support from well-meaning Nigerians, she would return to her first business of cooking continental dishes.

The celebrant, who also went to the podium to testify about the goodness of God in his life, used the opportunity to talk about how his vision for widows was born.

He explained that he started taking care of widows after he had a dream, where a late widow, who earlier in his life gave him an apartment to live rent-free in nicknamed him, “husband of the widows,” told him in a dream to ensure he continued to take care of widows.

Ayomike said that in the course of his work as a policeman, he had been posted to different states and in most states widows had been helpful and compassionate.

He said, “A widow once assisted me with a room apartment and refused to collect rent. This room was furnished and even had a cooking gas. I heard that the tenant using the apartment relocated overseas and that the landlady also did not collect rent from him, only was happy to accept money for food from him.

“I started giving her money for feeding and then she started calling me husband of widows and this was in Owo, Ondo State. In 2014, I also met another widow at Itedo Lekki, Lagos State, whom I used to buy bags of rice and cartons of noodles.”

The woman would later die and then appear to Ayomike in a dream. In the dream, the woman was with other women and instructed Ayomike to dip his hand into his pocket and give all the women freebies.

The ASP said: “I did as she instructed and still in the dream, she asked me to kneel while all the women prayed for me. When I woke up, I decided to expand my assistance to widows.”

Ayomike explained that to achieve his mission and vision, he reached out to friends, including Mr Olushola Olasele, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Top Ten Hotel and a renowned Nigerian actress, who does not wish to be named.

He also mentioned that his church leadership and members were part of his support system in taking care of widows.

One of the widows,  Mrs Ukuli Beatrice, in her 50s, while praying and asking God to continue to bless Ayomike, said that her husband died two years ago, leaving her with five children.

She recounted, “I used to be a  businesswoman. I used to sell clothes, but not anymore. I lost my shop and everything crumbled after the land on which the shop was situated was sold and since then I have become redundant! This incident happened last year.

“Today, I do not have a shop and no money to rent one, but I have those clothes at home. I came to this church from Badagry and it is only God who has been helping my children and I.”

According to her, if someone could assist her with the sum of N200,000, she would return to her business of selling clothes.

She added, “I appreciate Daniel Ayomike on how he has been helping widows. He’s a rare breed. Some Nigerians have so much, but will not help anyone, let alone widows. God will continue to bless and reward him.”

Mrs Yemisi Okufolarin, who is in her 60s, said that her husband died three years ago and she had to become a cleaner to make ends meet.

Before the demise of her late husband, she had a shop where she sold provisions. Okufolarin, who said that her in-laws had not been assisting since the death of her husband, told the reporter that if she could get as much as “N100,000, I will go into the selling of food items.”

She added: “I have prayed to God, and I will continue praying that He should bless Daniel Ayomike. Ayomike had been saying the food items and money were small, that we should manage them, but these items will seriously help our families.”

Mrs Rashida Balogun, a 60-year-old mother of one, whose husband died 17 years ago, recalled how she was chased away from her matrimonial home by her in-laws following the death of her husband.

Asked why she was chased away, she replied: “I have only one child and she’s a girl. Yes, there was property, and they didn’t want to share. Today, I sell fruits and even as I speak, we’ve beena notice to quit by December.

“The accommodation is the most disturbing challenge for me right now. I desperately need money for accommodation and to start a small business. If I can get a sum of N200,000 I will rent a room and start a business. Already, I have saved N90,000.”

While pouring encomiums on Ayomike, Balogun said, “I appreciate what Daniel Ayomike is doing for us. He did the same thing last year and to be truthful, I was not expecting another succour from him this year. God will continue to bless him.”

Mrs Cecilia Ayoade, 62, said her husband died four years ago, leaving her with four children. The woman who sells bread to make a living said that her husband simply got up one day, coughed, slumped and died.

She added,  “Since his death, life has been hellish. Daniel Ayomike is part of the people in this church that has been assisting me. I have not received help from my in-laws. It is my family that used to assist us. If I have the sum of N100,000, I will immediately start selling drinks at the front of my house.”

Primate Dr Clement Adeoye Lajuwomi JP, Orilanfindade of Holy Unity Church of Christ, said the church and its members were known for their humanitarian tendencies, adding that Ayomike has simply expanded the scope.

He added, “God gave Daniel the vision and grace to introduce this last year and it was successful and the church was much appreciative.

“When he came this year with the plan to repeat the event, we all supported him in prayers and kindness. God will continue to help him to do more. My advice to churches all over the world is to emulate good things.

“Nigerians should look at what a single man like Daniel Ayomike is doing for widows and try to cultivate the habit of helping the needy.”