A funeral ceremony in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, reportedly turned tragic on Friday after a pastor collapsed and died while delivering a sermon on the certainty of death.

The cleric was identified as Deacon Steve Eyo, the Resident Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Aleto.

He was preaching before more than 300 mourners when he suddenly collapsed as he was concluding his message.

Eyo’s sermon was titled “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond.” According to eyewitness accounts cited by multiple local news outlets, he began preaching at about 1:10 p.m., speaking about the inevitability of death and urging those present to live their lives with the awareness that nobody knows when death will come.

In illustrating his message, the pastor reportedly compared life to going to the market, explaining that some people leave early while others remain until later, just as some people die young while others live longer.

About 15 minutes into the sermon, at approximately 1:25 p.m., Eyo reportedly collapsed while rounding off his message.

His sudden fall initially confused some mourners, with eyewitnesses saying some thought the pastor was demonstrating the suddenness of death as part of his sermon. The situation quickly became clear, however, as church ministers, choir members and others rushed to his aid.

People at the scene reportedly prayed for him while individuals with medical knowledge attempted to administer first aid. He was subsequently taken to a nearby medical facility in the same ambulance that had been hired to convey the remains of the deceased person whose burial was taking place.

He was reportedly confirmed dead at the hospital, after which his remains were taken to a mortuary.

The circumstances surrounding Eyo’s death have not been publicly established in the reports reviewed, and no specific medical cause of death was disclosed.

However, the timing of the incident has left mourners and members of the Aleto community deeply shocked because of the subject of his final sermon.

According to eyewitness accounts, Eyo had urged the congregation to “number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime” shortly before he collapsed.

The incident transformed what had begun as a solemn farewell for one deceased person into another moment of mourning, as attendees were confronted with the sudden death of the minister delivering the funeral sermon.

Nigerian dancer cum entertainer, Iweh Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, has spoken about his ordeal following his release on bail in the United Kingdom.

Naija News recalls that Snaresbrook Crown Court had earlier fixed September 15 for plea and trial preparation in Poco Lee’s sexual offence case.

The case stems from Poco Lee’s visit to the UK in August for the Davido and Friends concert, which was held at the Crystal Palace Bowl in London on August 14.

However, during a video call with social commentator, VeryDarkMan, Poco Lee said his main concern while he was away was the welfare of his associates and the impact of his absence on their business activities.

The dancer maintained that he is innocent of the sexual allegation and his mind is pure.

He said, “I was just being myself. God sees my heart. My only worries were about my people. Jago could not do anything business, and I didn’t want to stress anyone.

“If I was inside there and I did what I was accused of, I would have felt I was paying for my sins, but since I knew I didn’t do what I was accused of, my mind is pure.

“Nobody would have wanted to associate themselves with something like that, but Burna Boy stood by me, Jago and some of my other guys.”

VeryDarkMan, who shared the video call on social media, also praised Nigerian singers, Burna Boy and Rahman Jago for their support.

In the caption accompanying the video, VDM wrote: “I just got off a video call with @rahman_jago_ and @poco_lee. I guess the next narrative will be this is AI. THERE IS A REASON WHY I BRAG WITH INTEGRITY, I AM NOBODY’S mate, WHEN I talk take it to the bank.”