Tolu, you are a brother whom I cherish dearly. You always carried with you a disarming presence that makes anyone that come in contact with you to feel at home. You are sassy with your wit but you were always charitable. You are a gentle soul that always considered others and you were very empathetic.

We do miss the wit and joy that you bring to conversations.

I write to the Jegede family to convey to you that you trained a son with character, meekness and dignity. Take solace that he did convey the depth of your commitment to Christ and he brought with him that unassuming nature of our Lord with him wherever he went.

To Monioluwa, I wish to say to you weep no more for Tolu has gone home to be with Lord but he has left for us a legacy of meekness and empathy, we will never forget the memories of such as blessed soul.

From Steve .

I remember the first time I saw Toluwani.

He had a reserved smile and with his few words, I could see he had a lot in him.

I was one of the older students that showed him and his group mates around back then, in Kazan.

There are so many people whose spirit are so strong, it emanates in their physique, you can see the strength in their eyes.

These kind of people are so strong that you never imagine to hear an obituary announcement about them. Ever.

Toluwani was one of such people. When I heard, it felt indeed as if a huge battle has been lost.

Please have comfort in fact that from the beginning his name was - Toluwani. He's God's own.

One thing I know for sure is he will never die the second time by being forgotten. His name will always live in our hearts.

Please be strong, stay strong.

Condolences!

Dear Mrs Jegede and the entire Jegede family,

It is with great shock that I learnt of the passing of your beloved son, Tolu Jegede.

As a parent, I can only imagine the pain that you and all members of your family are going through at this moment. My fervent prayer is that the almighty God shall bestow His benign spirit of consolation and healing on you and all members of your family.

From the torrents of pictures and video clips from friends, classmates and colleagues, there is no doubt that despite the brief moments that he stayed on earth, your son Tolu, just like a brilliant star, was able to have some positive impact on everyone that he met. This is indeed a great testimony and a very lasting legacy.

Since every event in our life happens according to Divine plans, I can only urge you to seek the face of God, especially during these moments of pain and sorrow.

The almighty God, in His infinite mercy, shall heal and bestow His peace upon you.

Remain blessed.

Prof Gloria M.T

Tolu, I only knew you for 2 years, but my life was impacted greatly. You knew how to motivate me to study more when I had issues with school. You were there for me physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. You were more than a friend to me and I will cherish the memories we had together.

With you gone, life won't be easy and won't go back to being normal again, but I will push my way through it.

I pray for comfort especially to your family. My deepest condolences.

You always supported my poetry, so here is a piece I wrote, dedicated to you.

IN THIS LIFE OR THE NEXT

Last night, I went to bed with smiles,

But I woke up drowning in my tears.

Although my dreams stretched for miles,

I was bombarded with my deepest fears.

I never imagined my life like this,

It was supposed to be pure bliss.

You left without saying goodbye,

And not to somewhere nearby.

All of a sudden, I'm surrounded by empty space,

With only shadows and glitches of your face.

I hear your voice in the whispers of the wind,

As loud as echoes in the darkness.

I saw your face in my yesterday,

I can hear your voice in my today,

I envision your plans in my future,

Even though your absence is torture.

I know I look fine, but I'm not okay.

My heart is bleeding beneath the smile.

Most nights, I cry myself to sleep,

Because the reality of your absence hits me.

In these very moments, I miss your warm hugs,

I miss the comfort of your warm embrace,

I miss the calming effect your voice has,

And I miss those moments we had together.

When I look around me, I'm enveloped in memories,

And like an ancient film, I'm mesmerized;

Seeing how much smiles and laughter we shared.

So, I will always cherish our memories together,

Smile when I think of you,

Cheer when I accomplish something we planned together,

And celebrate every step of the way.

You may be absent physically,

But I will always find you in my thought and memories.

So for now, continue to rest with the Lord,

Cheering me on my race till I come home.

Always remembered, never forgotten.

In this life and the next.

Dear Tolu,

I never got a chance to have a personal encounter with you, but people's lives whom i know that you touched, is enough to write hundred pages about you. It is really sad you had to leave Earth so soon, but I believe you are in a better place.

It is my prayer however, that God gives his family and friends the fortitude to bear this ireplaceable loss.

I know on the July 11th, 2020

The angels looked down from heaven that day

Seaching from miles afar,

And deep within the distance

To see a shining star.

And they knew that very instant

That the star was theirs to gain,

So they took you up to heaven,

Forever to remain.

And to guide us down here.

Look down on us from heaven.

Keep us free from hurt and pain.

You'll always be within my heart

Until we meet again

Tolu was among the four students I had the pleasure and honor of meeting at the Kazan train station, when they arrived Kazan from Nigeria sometime in 2017/2018. While helping them with their registration at the Kazan Federal University, I got to share words with all of them, including Tolu. Tolu was calm, cheerful and very respectful. I saw them as kids whom I needed to take care of: help with registration, get them a place to stay, show them around the city, etc. I would make statements like "We need to get the kids a place to stay today...." and they would laugh that I called them "kids" when they were my age-mates. But that is the way I saw them: beautiful people who I was blessed to meet and wanted to take care of and help however I could.

Fast forward a couple of years later Tolu had quickly adapted to life in Russia, mastered the language, made friends, doing so well in his studies in medicine, which everyone knew was a tough course in KFU. This speaks to his dedication, hardwork, kind-heartedness and loving spirit. I am so so proud of him, and I am very grateful that my life was touched by Tolu, however little the time we shared together was.

My heart goes out to his family, relatives and loved ones in your time of sorrow. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.

Please accept my heartfelt condolence.