…the missing corpse was reported to have been deposited at a Hospital in Awka
There was palpable tension in Orebe community, Amansea town in Awka North local government area of Anambra state following mysterious disappearance of corpse of the oldest man of the community Pa Micheal Nwanwuba Onyekwelu from the mortuary.
Late Onyekwelu aged 115 years had died and his corpse was reported to have been deposited at one Regina Hospital, Awka to pave way for a week long beffiting burial ceremonies at the deceased’s family house in Orebe community.
Coincidentally, arrangements for the burial rites had been concluded with a wake keep conducted by sympathizers on Thursday at the family house while the burial church service as well as final internment was supposed to hold last week Friday.
However, elders, leaders of the community and sympathizers including scores of priests had converged at both the community and Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church Amansea, venue for the burial service when the news about the absence of the corpse filtered in.
Anxiety heightened after family members, officiating priests and several other sympathizers waited for hours without the arrival of the motorcade that went to the mortuary to bring the deceased’s corpse.
Investigations revealed that another family from a yet to be identified community in Nsukka, Enugu state that deposited the dead body of their father mistakingly took away the remains of late Pa. Onyekwelu and had since buried him two weeks ago before the actual bereaved family came for the corpse last week Friday.
It was further gathered that Pa. Micheal Onyekwelu while alive had warned his children not to deposit his corpse in the mortuary any time he breathed his last to join his ancestors and creator.
But as fate would have it, one of his sons who is a priest of the Catholic Church (nameswithheld) was said to have allegedly taken the father’s corpse to the mortuary so that a beffitting church service and burial rites would be accorded to the father before the unexpected happened.
Hundreds of sympathizers who thronged the community and church premises to pay their last respect to the late Centenarian were said to have left for their homes disappointed even in awe.
Several canopies were quickly emptied as news of the strange development about the man’s corpse disappearing from the morgue spread the town.
Bishop of the Awka Catholic Diocese and several Reverend fathers, sisters and others had left in shock, while assorted food and drinks were served to those who bothered to stay behind despite the incident.
Efforts to get any of the man’s children to speak on the incident failed as the bereaved family members were busy trying to resolve the impasse with the Nsukka people in order to exhume the body of the deceased sage and oldest man for proper burial.
Further findings showed that the body of Pa Onyekwelu was finally exhumed and taken back to Orebe community for burial on Saturday evening.
Checks revealed that other burial activities and condolences were on as at Saturday and Sunday when our Correspondent visited the area.
The deceased’s family was said to have expressed anger at the management of the hospital and mortuary attendant for the misplacement of body of the dead man even as they threatened legal action against the hospital and all those directly and indirectly involved in the matter.
