Remembering Audu Danlami Angulu, a banking icon who loved God

Our dearly beloved Audu was born in Wusasa, Zaria, on August 17, 1967 to the family of Pa Michael Saidu Angulu of blessed memory and Ma Rebecca Ramatu Angulu (nee Yisa, Fazhi) who is still with us. His late grandfather was the Rev Canon John Angulu, a priest in the Anglican Communion and one of the pioneer Christians in Nupeland and his late grandmother Ma Alice Ramatu Angulu was known as Mama Doko, an endearment she earned being wife of the priest. His siblings are Barrister Ibrahim Angulu and Dr Azara Ogunyiluka.

He attended King’s College Lagos from 1979 to 1984 and went on to the University of Benin from where he graduated in 1988 with a BSc in Accounting. He became a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants on passing the Professional Exams Finals in November 1992. He got married to Oladunni Aina on February 10, 1996 and the Lord blessed them with Michael in 1999.

He loved his Lord with his everything and having received Him, served as Church Auditor at St Jude’s Anglican Church Magodo; Vicar’s Warden, St Jude’s Magodo; Exhorter at the All Soul’s Anglican Church, Lekki Scheme 1; Exhorter/Bible Study leader at the Church of Pentecost, Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah; Supporter of the Diocese of Bida since inauguration in 1999 and other ‘baby’ Dioceses carved out of Bida Diocese.

His community contribution in pioneering and handing over the Residents’ Association in Lekki Scheme Two was greatly appreciated to the extent that the Residents Association named a road after him in the Estate. God bless and reward their kind gesture.

His professional career started at

KPMG then Peat Marwick Ani Ogunde and Co in 1988 through Central Bank of Nigeria to various banks, ending at Ecobank Nigeria PLC as Deputy General Manager at the time he fell sick.

Like his late father, he was a diligent professional to the core; always going beyond the extra mile on every assignment. Words fail me to describe his commitment and dedication to all around him both at home and at work. He rested in the Lord on All Saints’ Day -November 6, 2016 in Abuja in the presence of loved ones and was buried on November 18, 2016 in his home town Bida in Niger State. A collection of tributes in his memory is available online with the title, ‘The Man We Love’.

We bless the Lord God Almighty for lending him to us for those years and we say with appreciation, For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God. Job 19:25

In a tribute at his death, Venerable S. Igein Isemede, the Retired Director Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board & Retired Vicar & Archdeacon, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), wrote: “The departure of Audu at 49 is painful, but we are convinced that he had completed the assignments the Lord has set out for him.”

He also testified that Angulu loved God and worked assiduously in the Lord’s vineyard and was very courteous at home and even in school.

“What brought Audu close to me in the last seven years of his life was his passion for church planting. As the Synod Secretary of the Diocese and the Vicar of Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, Audu pitched his tent with ‘Uncle’ to actualize his passion of having an Anglican Church built in Lekki Scheme 2 Housing Estate in Lagos where he lived. He made endless visits to the various offices of the administrators of the scheme and got to know that the 10,000m2 earlier demarcated as Place of Worship had been balkanized for other uses and a much smaller and swampy place was identified as Place of Worship,” he wrote.

He also recounted how even as a young lad, Angulu worked hard and was committed to all that he did.

The retired vicar recounted his several other encounters with my late husband, including his unalloyed dedication to his family.

He recounted thus: “I first met Mr Audu Angulu when I resumed duty as Vicar of St. Jude’s Anglican Church, Magodo/Shangisha in July 2001. He and his wife, Oladunni, were joint auditors of the church.

“I soon found both of them to be dedicated to church ministry service - bible study, week-day prayer meeting, vigil service, etc. I was very happy when I discovered that Audu had same educational/professional background with me - King’s College Old Boy and chartered accountant. All these reflected in his lifestyle.”

“Audu exhibited the virtues of a born again Christian. He was an exemplary family man. He loved his wife, just as Christ loved the church. He literally gave himself for her, anything for her convenience and health. He also loved his son, Michael, dearly, taking care of all his needs and comporting himself as a role model and mentor to him,” he testified.

He said he received the news of Audu’s death, sometime after he had been buried, with shock and disbelief because he was completely unaware of him suffering any ill health.

He also spoke about how my late husband kept feeding his spiritual life until he died. “I have a record of 68 bible passages sent to me by Audu between Monday, May 5, 2014 and Tuesday, September 2015 while I probably responded with not more than 10. Those bible passages affirmed faith, confidence, trust in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, assurance of the grace of salvation through Christ and the hope of resurrection to eternal life. My cell phone became faulty for a while and afterwards, I had to restore my directory manually. Later, I wondered why I did not receive any response to my WhatsApp messages to him from August 4 to November 2, 2016,” he recounted.

Indeed, my husband loved humanity, he loved his family and was also committed to all his endeavours.

May his soul continue to rest in peace even as we love him always!

Oladunni wrtites from Bida, Niger State.

“What brought Audu close to me in the last seven years of his life was his passion for church planting. As the Synod Secretary of the Diocese and the Vicar of Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, Audu pitched his tent with ‘Uncle’ to actualize his passion of having an Anglican Church built in Lekki Scheme 2 Housing Estate in Lagos where he lived