Death is the inevitable end for all mortals, but sometimes, the manner of passing to the great beyond is shocking and the grief is difficult for those left behind to bear. The manner of death of seven members and two in-laws of the Obidiegwu family of Nkwankwa Village, Azia in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State is one that no one wish even their enemies.
A family of seven – 51-year old Mr. Charles Obidiegwu; his wife, Esther Obidiegwu and their five children (four boys an a girl) -17- year old Isaac, David, Emma, Ebube and their 8-year old last child whose name could not be ascertained, met their end in an inferno caused by the explosion of cooking gas cylinder in their Ajegunle, Lagos home.
Also killed in the inferno is the sister inlaw, Ethel Mary Okeledu and her 6-year old son. According to the elder brother of the deceased, Mr. Livinus Obidiegwu, the cooking gas the wife of the late brother was cooking lunch with at about 12 noon exploded and caught fire.
The neighbors were unable to control it until the fire service came but. Sadly, they arrived rather late as the Obidiegwu family as well as the sister in-law, who came with his son to stay with them, had sustained severe burns. The elder brother of late Charles said: “On 20th July, the last day of Sallah break, my brother’s wife was in the kitchen making lunch when the gas cylinder exploded and caught fire.
Her husband was in the house and their five children were in the parlour watching television with their cousin. The explosion might have been caused by a leakage which they did not observe and because the kitchen was the only access point to and out of their flat, none of them could get out. They were badly burnt before the fire service people could come.
“My brother unfortunately died instantly while his wife, the five children, her sister in-law and her six-year old son died seven days later in the hospital.”
Sunday Telegraph, during a visit to the deceased Nkwankwa village, gathered that the first son of the deceased sustained 64 per cent burns to the body while the mother had about 54 per cent. The burial ceremony of the Obidiegwus and the sister in-law, Ethel Mary Okelechukwu, who was married in another village also in Azia, had trappings of royalty.
Activities in the entire town was put on hold; the market was closed for the day as they all trooped out en-mass to honour one of their own in death. Even the commercial Okada riders observed a work-free day in order to join in the burial rites.
In and around the compound of the deceased, a mammoth crowd made up of visitors, well wishers and Azia people were seen wearing a solemn look. Some, mostly men, sang dirges and danced around the graves and within the compound, some wailed uncontrollably, lamenting and cursing death. Some others were seen hanging around the graves with tears rolling down their cheeks.
They were actually buried two weeks earlier before the burial rites were performed. The mortuary in the town rejected the bodies because of the state they were in when they were brought home and family, an average one, had to run around to raise the funds needed for the burial rites.
The seven graves which surrounded the unfinished building project of late Charles still looked fresh as if it was yesterday on the day the burial rites were performed. The first son’s grave was located at the entry point of the building; the parents graves were side by side in front of the building; the other two children -David and Emma – were buried at the corner of the building while the last two lay in their cold grave at the back of the uncompleted house.
Late Charles, who was described by his brother as a godly person was a member of the Chosen Charismatic Church before his death. He was into medicine business in Lagos and the bread winner of the house before his untimely death. He lost the battle of life with his wife and five children -four boys and a girl. In his sermon at the burial service held in late Charles’ compound, the officiating priest, Rev. Fr. Jude Unigwe of the St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Azia, condoled with the family and urged them not to question why it happened the way it did as only God has the answer and final say.
He called on the mourners to be ready at all times by living a good life as nobody knows when death will come knocking and how it would come. He said, “It is a painful death and nobody deserves to die in the manner they died, but nobody can question God. He knows the best. Nkwankwa community should use the death of the nine people to unite in love and be your brothers’ keeper. God allows things like this to happen so that those who are still alive can learn from it and repent.” Unigwe observed that those that died in the inferno did not die because they had committed the most grievous sins but because God wanted them home.
For the siblings of the deceased, words alone were not enough to explain the vacuum their brother’s death had created in the family as he was the bread winner and a loving brother. His youngest brother, Chimezie Obidiegwu, who looked devastated and fought hard to contain his emotions said his head was ‘full’ and that he lacked words to express feeling. He said he would miss his late brother’s love, understanding and fear of God.
“I’m short of words, I will miss him greatly,” he said. The elder sister of late Charles, who looked devastated, declined to make any statement about her late brother. She only wailed, “This thing is going to come out on the Newspaper? Well the world has seen me enough through my brother’s death; I don’t want any other person to see me. My brother has gone to rest and we leave it at that.”
The Uncle of late Charles, Mr. Anthony Obidigwe, said that it was sad to lose a good child like Charles but expressed joy at the way the entire Azia community came out to support and empathize with the family in the time of grief.
He said, “If we were told by anybody or seers that they would go this way, we would not believe it but it has gone in the way of the Lord. We cannot blame God for what happened but we pray that He accept their souls in eternity.
We also urge Governor Willie Obiano to remember the grieving. Azia people closed the market for them, the church were all here, the President-General, as well as the Igwe and his cabinet were all here and we thank them for their show of support.” Amongst the sympathizer, one man who identified himself simply as Emmanuel stood out. He stood close to the graves of Charles and his wife crying uncontrollably.
Expressing his sadness, he said that the thought of how the family of seven died with a sister in-law and son broke his heart. “I don’t understand….Oh God, Charles,” he couldn’t continue because he could not hold back the tears.
Sad as it is, Charles, his wife and five children, sister in-law and son have lived out their days on earth and are all gone to the great beyond as destined by God and awaiting the resurrection day. In times of death and funeral, the living are reminded that life is only but for a while, the clock as it is set by the unseen hand of God can tick to an end at any point. The question remains, where does one spend eternity and how will one’s name be remembered after the person is gone.
The death of the nine healthy people -young and old – is indeed a sad closure.
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