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Ihuoma Chiedozie writes on a spectacular wedding in Enugu, where a groom, who is a biker, rode to church on a superbike with his bride

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Okelue were not the only couple who wedded at the St. Mulumba’s Catholic Church, New Haven, Enugu in 2015. As a matter of fact, the catechist’s register boasts many weddings from January through December 2015.

However, on December 29, 2015, the solemnisation of marriage between Benjamin and Blessing Okelue, caused a stir.

Unlike the tradition of driving to wedding venues in state-of-the-art cars, this couple chose a superbike.

Before the wedding mass, Benjamin and his bride, Blessing, drove to the church on superbike. They also had a train of groomsmen who were also bikers. Instead of wearing their suits, they were kitted in bikers gear and formed a long convoy behind the couple.

After the mass which lasted over an hour, the officiating priests, friends and family members had a photo session with the couple. Then, it was time to move over to the reception hall which is situated on the expansive church premises. The couple moved over to the reception venue, where they hosted guests and well-wishers. By the time that ended, another rare sight ensued.

Instead of the groom driving his new bride away in the usual decorated wedding vehicle to commence their honeymoon, he opted again for his superbike. Then, several bikers, all fully kitted, drove behind them on various models of superbikes.

Many guests and residents of the area were held in awe; never in the history of the city has a couple driven to, and from their wedding venue on a superbike.

They became a celebrity couple and by the time the groom posted the pictures on his social media platforms, it went viral!

Days after the wedding, the Okelues left Enugu and returned to their base in Jos, Plateau State.

SUNDAY PUNCH caught up with the newly-weds during their next visit to Enugu, on January 11, 2016. A native of Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Okelue, did not deny his passion for superbikes. According to him, biking remains his hobby, and he has invested time and resources in the sports.

“I am a biker and I founded the Peace Riders Motorcycle Club in Jos. I am the club’s former president,” he said.

Stating that it was not in the interest of club members to be kitted in gear and to ride behind any couple who just got married, Okelue said, “I acquired the latest BMW 2016 model superbike, which arrived three days before the wedding, and I decided that I would use it for my wedding.”

His bride, Blessing, felt on top of the world to have arrived at her wedding riding on a superbike. Asked if she would have preferred cars, she said, “I am happy that my husband decided to use the superbike because I prefer it to cars. It was a thing of joy to me that I used the superbike for the wedding.”

To say that Okelue’s life is centered on superbikes, is an understatement. He is a superbike freak. Interestingly, he travelled all the way from Jos to Enugu with the superbike.

“Biking is my hobby and I travel almost everywhere with power bikes.

“I have travelled to several West African countries with super bikes. The BMW superbike I used for the wedding was shipped from abroad to Lagos and I went to the port in Lagos to retrieve it, after which I rode on it to my base in Jos and I travelled again to Enugu. In fact, I will also be returning to Jos on my bike,” he told our correspondent.

Apart from the Peace Riders Club, Jos, Okelue is also a member of the Superbike Clubs Association of Nigeria, the national bikers body.

According to him, many members of the club, who attended the wedding from different parts of the country, also came with their bikes.

“Those who observed our arrival at the church for the wedding noticed that we came with the superbike, alongside other bikers in a convoy. Those were not only members of my club. Many other bikers came in from other parts of the country— Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Lagos, Calabar and other places. Even the Emir of Kasheri in Gombe, rode his bike all the way from Gombe to Enugu,” Okelue said.

The Superbikers Clubs Association of Nigeria, or SCAN, organises competitions for its members. One of such events is the Motor Bike Race, which usually takes place in Benin City, Edo State.

However, the bikers’ major event is the annual convention, known as ‘SCAN Gathering,’ which usually holds in Lagos.

The newlywed explained that the club invests its proceeds on charity.

But there are risks involved too. Okelue disclosed that he broke three ribs in a crash while riding his superbike.

“In 2011, I had a crash on the bike while returning to Jos from Yankari with some of my club members and I broke three ribs,” he said.

But this incident did not discourage him from biking, even though he was hospitalised for three weeks.

“Everything in life is risky, even driving a car. I was not discouraged at all. There was a time I once had an accident with my car and it did not discourage me from driving. For me, biking is something I enjoy and I feel more secured on the bike. I prefer travelling with the bike to embarking on trips with cars. The most important thing is, when you are riding the bike, you must make sure that you are putting on your safety gear such as the helmet, and other safety devices.

“The day I had a crash, there was no haemorrhage because I was wearing my safety gear. I only broke ribs because I crashed against a tree,” he said.

Meanwhile, his wife, former Miss Blessing Chioma Akahara, was never a fan of biking. According to him, when he met her at the Adoration Ground, in Enugu, sometime ago, she never liked bikers.

“Before taking her to the altar, I had to take her into my world of biking, bikers and superbikes,” Okelue said.

Blessing is now a budding biker.

Her first time of riding on a superbike was on Lovers’ Day. “The first time he took me on a bike was on a Valentine’s Day,” she recalled.

Describing her husband in glowing terms, the newlywed confessed to have been afraid during her first attempt at biking, “Initially, I was very scared but after a while, I got used to it. That day, our Valentine’s Day was celebrated on the bike and I enjoyed every moment. Later, he invited a friend, Hauwa, to help take me on biking lessons. I learnt and since then, I have been riding bikes and I realised that movement on bike is smoother, and I prefer it to cars.”

Okelue explained further, “She is comfortable with biking now but at the time we met, she was not. Her friends were telling her that biking was too risky, that bikers die early and all those funny stories. The first time I took her on a bike was on a Valentine’s Day. Since then, she has been riding on bikes. I usually take her on bikes from Jos to Abuja, she is a biker now. The first day I rode with her, I made sure I was moving at a normal speed – 80mph – and we were playing music because we had helmets that had earphones and the Bluetooth device. She really enjoyed the ride.

“The next day, I called a female member of our club, Hauwa Alexander, to come and see her and when Blessing saw a lady like her with a bike, she became more interested. I bought her the Yamaha R6 2014 model superbike and that is what she is using now. Hauwa, who is now her friend, encouraged her to start riding.”

Okelue said he desires that his unborn children will share his passion for superbikes.

“I will make sure my children ride bikes, unless they decide not to,” he said.

Superbikes do not come cheap.

As indicated on some sites on the Internet, prices of superbikes range from N2m to N10m. But Okelue is determined to always upgrade to the latest models in the market.

“I don’t worry about the cost (of superbikes) because it is my hobby. I am already saving for the BMW 2018 model. I will sell the 2016 model that I have now, if I get a good offer, before buying the 2018 model, but if I don’t get a good offer for it, then I will have to keep it even after getting the new one. I sold my 2014 model BMW before I got the 2016 model I am using now.”

Currently, Okelue has four superbikes – BMW 2016 model, Yamaha R1 2009 model, Yamaha Tenere 2010 model, and a Yamaha R6 2014 model, which is used by his wife.

His passion for biking is not in doubt, but it is clear that his wife, Blessing, gives him the most joy.

Asked to describe his wife, Okelue said, “She is a loving person, a nice woman to be with, since I met her she has changed a lot in me. I am even happier with her because she is now a biker like me.”