Former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has described the death of her husband, Adeniyi Adeosun, as painful while expressing gratitude for the years they spent together.

Adeosun spoke on Thursday during the funeral service for her husband, who died in Lagos on August 5 at the age of 62.

“I’m heartbroken, I’ve found it difficult to believe that this actually happened. But at the same time, I’m very thankful,” she said.

She said Adeniyi was not known to be ill before his death, recalling that he went to bed and did not wake up. She also described seeing him at the mortuary, saying he had a peaceful expression on his face.

“On Friday, I went to the mortuary and when I saw him, he had the biggest smile on his face. He wasn’t sick. He simply went to sleep and didn’t wake up… that’s the way I’d like to go,” she said.

Adeosun recalled that the couple would have marked their 33rd wedding anniversary this year and had planned to spend more time travelling together.

“This year would have been 33 years of our wedding anniversary. We had a meeting, the two of us, and we said now every three months, we’re just going to be travelling, we spend all the money,” she said.

Describing her late husband as a “mischievous human being”, Adeosun recalled several humorous moments from their marriage, including an occasion during a trip to the United States when he reportedly pretended to be disabled and used a wheelchair to avoid a long immigration queue.

She said their home was filled with laughter and that her husband would be greatly missed by family, friends and others who knew him.

The family had described Adeniyi, whose full name was Anthony Adeniyi Adeosun, as a respected businessman and devoted Christian. He is survived by his wife, children and siblings, including Adewale Adeosun, founder of Kuramo Capital.