A funeral ceremony in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, turned tragic on Thursday when the resident pastor of a Redeemed Church in the community, Deacon Steve Eyo, reportedly collapsed and died while delivering a sermon on death.
Eyo was preaching on the theme, “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond,” at the burial ceremony attended by more than 300 mourners when he suddenly collapsed towards the end of his message.
According to Daily Review Online, the incident occurred at about 1:25pm, shortly after the pastor began his sermon at approximately 1:10pm, reports News Express.
During the sermon, Eyo reportedly spoke about the inevitability of death and urged the mourners to live with the consciousness that death could occur at any time.
Using an illustration, he likened human existence to going to the market, explaining that while some people leave early, others remain until later. In the same way, he said, some people die young while others live to old age.
He also reportedly reminded the gathering that death could come without warning.
However, as he was concluding the sermon, Eyo suddenly collapsed in front of the mourners.
The fall initially caused confusion among those present, with some reportedly believing that the pastor’s collapse was part of his illustration about the unexpected nature of death.
It soon became apparent that the situation was a medical emergency.
Church ministers, members of the choir and other attendees reportedly gathered around Eyo and moved him to the rear of the venue, where prayers were offered and first aid was administered by people with medical knowledge.
His condition, however, reportedly deteriorated.
A medical personnel at the scene was said to have observed that the pastor had stopped breathing, prompting mourners to arrange his immediate evacuation to a hospital.
Eyo was subsequently rushed to the nearest hospital in an ambulance that had earlier been hired to transport the remains of the deceased to the burial ceremony.
He was reportedly pronounced dead at the hospital, after which his body was taken to the mortuary.
The incident reportedly left mourners in shock, particularly because of the subject of the pastor’s final sermon.
Before his collapse, Eyo had reportedly told the gathering that the burial was a reminder that death was not the end, stressing that judgment follows death.
He urged those present to reflect on the brevity of life and to live wisely.
His final reported words were: “Number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime.”
Moments later, he collapsed, with the microphone reportedly falling to the ground.
The unusual circumstances surrounding his death left those at the ceremony stunned, as the pastor had been speaking about the certainty and unpredictability of death only moments before he died.
The circumstances surrounding his sudden death have not been independently established in the report beyond the account of witnesses at the ceremony.
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