Via Saturday Sun :
The Catholic community in
Lagos is yet to come to terms with the tragic death of Rev. Francis Alex
Okafor. The man drowned during a send-forth party organised in his honour at
the Ibeshe Beach in Oriade Local Council Development Area of the state.
Eyewitness account said, while Rev. Okafor and some of his guests were
swimming, a strong current came and carried him, together with some of the
people. Divers who were immediately mobilised were able to rescue three of them,
while Rev Okafor could not be found. Two days after, his lifeless body was
found floating at the edge of the sea.
Rev. Okafor who was in
his 30s, was ordained Deacon on July 4, 2015, and was subsequently posted to
St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, Agboju, Lagos for the mandatory six weeks
apostolic work.
When Saturday Sun visited
the parish within the week, the whole place wore sombre look. There were no activities
in the premises. The few people around were in groups, obviously discussing
the incident.
Describing
the incident as a rude shock, Mr. Percy Okuofo, president of Redemption Youth
Vocation Ministry (RYVM), the group which organised the ill-fated send-forth,
told Saturday
Sun that
the late Reverend was an excellent example to the youths.
According to him, “By
Catholic rules, before one could become a priest, he must have undergone about
nine years of intensive and rigorous training, which also involves an apostolic
work in a Catholic church. This would enable him to get acquainted with all it
takes to celebrate a mass and acquire more experience in the various aspects
of church administration. For the late Rev he has already been ordained a
deacon, and waiting to be ordained a priest next year.
“Having completed the six
weeks apostolic work at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church Agboju, the late Okafor
was full of joy and was warming up to meet his family in Zaria. The Parish
Priest Rev. Father Michael Okoh, the parishioners and the members of the church
planned a colourful send-forth for him on Sunday, August 16, after which he
would leave for further engagements.”
Ahead of the proposed
sent-forth party, the youths of the church under the umbrella of RSYVM, decided
to organise the beach party for him.
Battling to control his
tears, Okuofo said: “while some of the youths and the late Reverend were
swimming, three of them, including the clergy were swept away by a strong
current and vanished in the water. Onlookers and other swimmers were surprised
at what had happened and immediately went on a rescue mission.
“Luckily, some divers
around were able to save two of the youths, a boy and a girl, while Okafor’s
body could not be found. We kept monitoring the area till his bloated body
surfaced.”
During the Service of
Songs organised by the church, Priest in-charge, Rev Fr Michael Okoh described
the late Okafor as an obedient servant of God and a hardworking gentleman who
did his best to lift the church within the short period he came.
The late Okafor who
hailed from Anambra State, was trained by his single mother. He was to be
ordained priest in July 2016, after about nine years training. It was also
learnt that he was the only son of his parents.
Meanwhile, the Lagos
State Police Command confirmed the incident and described it as unfortunate.
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