A resident pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, Deacon Steve Eyo, has collapsed and died while preaching on the inevitability of death at a funeral ceremony in the community.
Eyo reportedly collapsed about 15 minutes into his sermon on Friday while delivering a message titled, “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond,” leaving mourners and other attendees in shock.
According to eyewitness accounts, the cleric had been admonishing the congregation on the inevitability of death and the need for people to live with the consciousness that death could come at any time.
He reportedly likened life to going to the market, explaining that while some people leave the market early, others remain there until later.
In the same manner, he said, some people die early while others live longer, stressing that nobody could determine when death would come.
However, while still delivering the sermon, the pastor suddenly collapsed, causing the microphone to fall to the floor with a loud sound.
The development initially caused confusion among the mourners, as some reportedly assumed that the cleric's sudden fall was part of his illustration about the unpredictable nature of death.
It soon became apparent that the situation was a medical emergency.
The pastor was reportedly moved to the back of the church, where members of the choir, other ministers and mourners gathered around him and offered prayers.
Some persons with medical knowledge were also said to have administered first aid in an attempt to revive him.
A medical personnel at the scene later reportedly observed that the pastor had stopped breathing.
He was subsequently rushed to a nearby hospital in the same ambulance that had been hired to convey the remains of the deceased whose funeral was being conducted.
The cleric was, however, pronounced dead at the hospital, after which his remains were taken to a mortuary.
The incident has thrown members of the church and residents of Aleto into mourning, particularly because of the circumstances surrounding the pastor's death.
The cleric's sermon had focused extensively on the certainty of death and the unpredictability of its timing, before he himself reportedly collapsed and died while delivering the message.
The incident also reportedly left mourners visibly shaken, as the pastor's warning about the inevitability of death was followed shortly afterwards by his own sudden collapse.
No official cause of death had been disclosed in the reports available at the time of filing this story.
