Bonny Island: Bedwell Pollyn Family Gears Up For 10th Memorial Thanksgiving Service, Novelty Football Match
By Ken Asinobi
All roads lead to Bonny Island this weekend as the Bedwell Pollyn family prepares to honor the legacy of their late matriarch, Prophetess Fancy Abiebugha Bedwell Pollyn, with a poignant 10th-year memorial thanksgiving service and novelty football match.
Prophetess Fancy, who passed away on February 4, 2016, at the age of 73 (born April 17, 1942), will be celebrated as the family’s “finest lioness.”
The events, organized by her family under the leadership of Warisenibo Sunny Abiebugha Bedwell Pollyn, promise a blend of sports, prayers, and worship to reflect her enduring influence.
Activities kick off on Saturday, February 7, 2026, with a novelty football match at 8am at the Government School Pitch in Bonny.
Opobo United All Stars will face off against Friends of Isobonye in a spirited community showdown, drawing fans and well-wishers to commemorate her love for unity and fellowship.
By At 10am the same day, family members and mourners will gather at Bonny Cemetery for prayers and the laying of flowers on her grave, offering a quiet moment of reflection.
The highlight comes on Sunday, February 8, 2026, with a 9am thanksgiving service at the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim, Bonny Special Area, 1 Macaulay Street, Bonny.
The service will feature hymns, tributes, and prayers, celebrating Prophetess Fancy’s spiritual legacy in the community.
“Matriarch, your light lives on in us,” the family stated in the announcement, underscoring her lasting impact as a prophetess, family pillar, and community leader.
Residents of Bonny Island, Opobo Town and beyond are invited to join in these free events, expected to foster reunion and remembrance in the island’s vibrant tradition of honoring elders.
Describing the late Fancy Pollyn, Mrs. Ibigo Tolofari said: “Late Prophetess Fancy Ablebugha Bedwell Pollyn was gentle in spirit and radiant in beauty, inside and out.
Her calm presence brought comfort, and her soft words carried grace that touched every soul she encountered. She moved through life with kindness, humility, and a quiet strength that drew people naturally to her.
It was this rare blend of inner peace and outward beauty that earned her the name Fancy—a name that perfectly reflected her elegance, charm, and the warmth she shared so freely.
Her memory remains a picture of grace, love, and gentle faith.
In the words of Senibo Michael D.P.C. Brown, “Fancy was someone I grew up under, and her presence left an unforgettable mark on my life. Her beauty was beyond description —natural, effortless, and rare.
“She wore her full afro hair flowing down to her waist, a true crown that reflected her confidence and grace.
She was kind-hearted and gentle, always carrying herself with warmth and compassion.
“Though I am destined to miss her deeply, I am consoled by the truth that no one lives forever. Her memory will continue to live on in the hearts of those she nurtured and loved.I grew up under her. Her beauty was beyond description. “She had a natural afro hair that touches to her waist. Kindhearted and gentle. I Fontaine to miss her but am consoled that no one will live forever”
