The Resident Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Aleto, in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, Deacon Steve Eyo, on Friday reportedly collapsed while preaching at a burial ceremony and was later confirmed dead after he was rushed to a medical facility.
It was gathered that the late pastor was preaching a message entitled “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond” and held the more than 300 attendees at the ceremony spellbound.
Key Highlights
- RCCG Aleto resident pastor Deacon Steve Eyo collapsed while preaching at a burial in Eleme, Rivers State.
- He was delivering a message titled “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond.”
- An eyewitness said more than 300 people were in attendance.
- The pastor started preaching at about 1:10 p.m. and collapsed at about 1:25 p.m.
- He was rushed to a hospital in the ambulance hired for the burial and was confirmed dead.
- Eyewitnesses said his last words urged the congregation to number their days and prepare.
Pastor Collapses While Preaching
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the pastor was preaching with a lot of energy and speaking clearly.
“Everyone in attendance, estimated to be above 300 persons, was quiet and paying attention to him. The pastor spoke about the fact that death is certain and cannot be avoided,” the eyewitness stated.
He said the pastor compared death to going to the market, quoting him as saying some people leave the market early, while others stay until late. In the same way, some people die early, while others live longer. Death can come when we least expect it.
According to the eyewitness, the pastor started preaching at about 1:10 p.m. At about 1:25 p.m., while he was still preaching, he suddenly collapsed as he was concluding the message.
“His fall happened right in front of everyone at the stage of concluding his message, at the last minute of the message. At first, some people thought he was demonstrating how suddenly death can happen, because he had just been talking about death. But we soon realised that it was a serious situation,” the eyewitness recounted.
Rushed to Hospital and Confirmed Dead
The source said that when the pastor collapsed, he was quickly taken to the back while the church choir and ministers gathered around him praying.
“Some people with medical knowledge also gave him first aid, but unfortunately, his condition became worse,” he revealed.
He added that a medical person reportedly said his breathing had stopped. When he was rushed to the nearest hospital in the same ambulance that had been hired to carry the remains of the deceased, he was confirmed dead and taken to the mortuary.
“It was a very painful and shocking moment for everyone present.”
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Last Words Before the Fall
Before the incident, the pastor had said that the burial was a reminder that death is not the end, because judgment comes after death. He also encouraged everyone to number their days and live wisely.
“His last words before the fall: ‘Number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime.’ Then he fell down, with the microphone landing on the floor with a loud sound,” the eyewitness said.
“It is still like a drama to everyone in attendance,” the eyewitness concluded.
The incident was reported from Aleto in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. For more updates, follow us on X.
