Family and friends bade Ezinne Appolonia Nnozirim goodbye.

The Amiyi Akah Autonomous Community played a big host to friends and well-wishers especially those from the Roman Catholic Church as the remains of the late Ezinne Mrs Appolonia Malu Nnozirim were laid to rest at her husband’s compound in Umuokere Amiyi Akah on Friday December 19, 2025.

The great burial ceremony which attracted many dignitaries began when the children of the deceased, undertakers, family members and others came back from the mortuary with the corpse of the late Ezinne in a motorcade.

Upon arrival at the family home, emotions ran high and the body was taken to the lying-in-state room for people to see the corpse for the last time. As expected, loved ones, her children, brothers, sisters, and family members, paid their last respects to the woman who lived an eventful 90 years on earth.

After the lying in state ritual, a requiem Mass followed at St. Paul’s Catholic Church Amiyi which lasted till midday and beyond.

While delivering his sermon during the requiem Mass, the officiating priest spoke a lot about life and death and appealed to the people to mend their ways and follow Jesus Christ. He pointedly declared that those who are afraid of death are those whole ways of life are not clear. “If you are a righteous man or woman, you will never fear death but too bad it is only those who refuse to change their ways are the ones who fear death always.”

By the time the Mass came to an end, the officiating priest thanked Rev Dr S.C. Eboh who came to the community solely to pray with the bereaved family over the loss of the matriarch.

Around some minutes after midday, the priest, his catechist, Christian mothers and others were at the graveside at the compound of the deceased where some prayers were made for the repose of the soul of the late Ezinne. The body of the great woman of God, Ezinne Appolonia Malu Nnozirim was then laid to rest finally. The late Ezinne Appolonia Malu Nnozirim was a devoted CWO member and respected community leader who passed away at the age of 90 years.

She leaves behind her children, grandchildren, and a host of other family members and relations among whom is Engineer Basilia Onyinyechi Obi, the Lolo Okaka 1 of Akah land and the wife of Chief Eze Dons Obi, the Obinganga 1 of Akah land and Eze Di Gbuo the second of Ugbele Akah. During the burial, the Umulolo Ugbele people were adequately represented.