How Angry Umuezeala youths hijacked casket from undertakers.
3 min read
The burial of Mr Uchenna Victor Dike Jr who died in the United States of America a couple of months ago, where he was residing with his parents and siblings has come and gone but the echoes left behind by the sad event still ring bells in Umuezeala Uba Umuaka community. From the day the sad news was broken in the community over the sudden death of the gentlemanly Uchenna Dike, the women, men and especially the youths of the community have been wearing mournful looks. The bereaved Dike family was also receiving visitors from far and near who came to console them.
The scenario played out in Umuezeala was also replicated in Umuezikoha Uba, the maternal home of the deceased. Both families and communities were in a deep mood of sober reflections and they also controlled their social activities. This development was made possible by the shock the sudden and untimely death of Uchenna Dike left with his people.
Perhaps, the Umuezeala youths were the next group of persons hit seriously by the death of Dike after his family members. From the day they were informed of the sad news from America, the youths had taken time to hold meetings on the best way to mourn and assist the Dike family. Days to the burial date, they had come together to repair the roads leading to the family compound of the Dikes. This was made possible by the financial support from Dr Victor Dike, the father of Uchenna Dike.
During the wakes night, the youths also gathered in their large numbers to not only stay with the family but to help in running some crucial errands. It was they who dug the grave and set the canopies and cleaned the chairs etc before retiring to their houses in the early hours of Thursday December 8, 2022. By 7 0’clock in the morning, they have left for Aladimma Hospital mortuary to be part of the motorcade. Each of them clad in a black attire. They sang songs and walked from Afor Umuaka to Umuezeala while escorting the motorcade home.
At the requiem Mass which was celebrated at St Mary’s Catholic Church Umuaka, the Umuezeala youths were also present except a few of them who were told to stay in the Dike compound to make sure things went well. The requiem Mass which ended around 11:45 am was an opportunity for those who could not make it to the church service to join the motorcade back to Umuezeala. When the motorcade got to Umuezeala, Umuisii community precisely and very close to the family house of the Dikes, the youths in their large numbers ordered the undertakers to hand over the casket containing the remains of Uchenna Dike to them and the undertakers immediately obliged.
Without wasting time, they marched to the compound, chanting war-like songs while they were demonstrating their youthfulness and sadness. Some of them armed themselves with machetes while others were seen jumping up and down including the female ones, just to register their sadness over the great loss. When they reached the main compound, it was like hell let loose! The master of the ceremony was busy appealing to them to remain calm and control their funeral rascality and anger.
The appeals from the MC and others initially fell on deaf ears but after about a period of 5 minutes or more, the youths calmed down and handed over the casket to the undertakers for internment. After the hand-over, they assembled themselves in one particular place, held each other and prayed to God to remove such a tragic death from their fold. The prayer signaled the tragic end of a highly industrious youth who had a lot of dreams for his family, community and the country at large.
