A burial ceremony in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, reportedly turned tragic on Friday when a pastor collapsed and died while preaching about the certainty of death.
The pastor, identified as Deacon Steve Eyo, was said to be the Resident Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Aleto.
According to reports, Eyo was delivering a sermon titled “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond” at a burial ceremony attended by more than 300 people when he suddenly collapsed.
He reportedly began preaching at about 1:10 p.m., speaking about the inevitability of death and encouraging mourners to live their lives wisely because nobody knows when death will come.
While explaining the uncertainty surrounding death, the pastor reportedly compared it to going to the market, noting that some people leave early while others stay until late.
He was said to have continued preaching energetically until about 1:25 p.m., when he suddenly collapsed as he was concluding his message.
His sudden fall initially left some people confused, with some reportedly thinking that he was demonstrating the suddenness of death as part of his sermon.
It soon became clear, however, that the situation was serious.
Church ministers and members of the choir reportedly gathered around him and prayed while people with medical knowledge attempted to administer first aid.
He was subsequently rushed to a nearby medical facility in the same ambulance that had been hired to transport the remains of the deceased person whose burial ceremony he was attending.
Reports said the pastor was later pronounced dead and his remains taken to a mortuary.
The incident reportedly left mourners and other people at the ceremony shocked, particularly because his sermon had focused on the certainty of death and the need for people to prepare for it.
His reported final exhortation before he collapsed was: “Number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime.”
The circumstances surrounding his death, including the exact medical cause, had not been officially disclosed in the reports available at the time of publication.
The incident has nevertheless left those present at the burial ceremony grappling with the painful irony of a preacher collapsing and dying while delivering a message about death and the uncertainty of life.
