There were many tears on Saturday as the body of Rebekah Sekidika, who graduated top of her class in Microbiology from the Benson Idahosa University, Benin City in Edo State, was buried at the Port Harcourt cemetery in Rivers State.
It was reported earlier that the father of the late 24-year-old girl, Sampson Sekidika, had told PUNCH Metro that his daughter died at the Paragon Clinics and Image Diagnosis in Port Harcourt during a procedure by a team of medical workers on February 2, 2024.
Starting from 6:30 am, family members, relatives, friends, and mourners dressed in black gathered at the Military Hospital in Port Harcourt where her body was kept to be taken from the morgue for burial.
Her body was taken to the ‘Vaults and Gardens’ a private area of the Port Harcourt Cemetery where a short funeral service led by Bishop Chris Ebata took place, and her younger sibling, Josephine, read from the book of Thessalonians chapter 4: 13 to 15.
The mourners sang two well-known hymns, ‘When Peace Like a River’ and ‘Rock of Ages’ during the funeral service.
Bishop Ebata, in his sermon, talked about how powerless humans are in the face of death, saying, “No one can stop the spirit from leaving when it’s time’.
The cleric said he found comfort in knowing that Rebekah loved God and dedicated herself to Him, and urged everyone present to take the time to think about their own lives.
He said, “Here, her (the deceased) spirit is telling all of us to serve the Lord. That is her message to us. So, the question is, what are we doing with our lives?
He stressed that her passing should make everyone, not just her immediate family, think deeply about their lives as they paid their final respects.
Continuing with his speech, the cleric indirectly referred to the circumstances that may have led to Rebekah’s passing, saying, “We are also praying for those human mistakes to be corrected in Nigeria”.
He concluded with prayers for the family to find the strength to cope with the overwhelming loss, describing death as an inevitable end that everyone will face at some point.
Sampson Sekidika reiterated his demand for justice, insisting that his daughter died due to the ‘carelessness and incompetence’ of the medical team that carried out the procedure.
A devastated father said, “This is a loss that we will grieve for the rest of our lives. Instead of a marriage certificate, I received a death certificate.
“On that day, she went to the hospital in good health for something she thought was a simple procedure. But because of the carelessness of certain individuals, she died from a procedure that didn’t need surgery.”
While expressing that no parent would want to bury their child, Sekidika stated in what sounded like a eulogy that his 24-year-old daughter always excelled in her studies.
“She was a very obedient child and she made many promises to me. She completed 21 days of fasting with this pastor ‘What God cannot do does not exist’ before she passed away. When I saw my daughter’s body covered in blood in the operating room, I asked ‘Are these all the promises you made to me?
He said, "She was clearly killed deliberately. I want fairness. fairness won't bring her back but it will help to close the case. It will also help to ensure that anything you are doing you take the necessary precaution."
"Rebekah, wherever you are, but I know youâre with God. I want you to join us in getting justice."
He sadly expressed that his daughter's dream of achieving higher academic feat was cut short, saying she was to travel to the United Kingdom with all arrangements made for her departure for her Master and PhD programmes before death struck.
Our reporter who covered the event exclusively reports that family members, relatives, friends, and many others at the drawing of the curtain event sobbed uncontrollably especially during the viewing of the corpse and at the graveside as the remains of the young and loving daughter of the Sekidika's was lowered into the grave.
As her body was being interred, there were rain showers, and quickly everyone began leaving the Port Harcourt cemetery and gradually to their respective destinations, while scores accompanied the bereaved family back home.