Tragedy struck at the weekend in Ogbomoso, Oyo state, as a bride (?) died the morning following the day her wedding ceremony should have been held. It is one of the tragic stories that accentuates the mysteriousness of life.
Rebecca Oyedotun, who was the bride but who never transformed into a wife, had with her husband, Abiodun Oluwadamilare, and families fixed Saturday, August 19 as their wedding day.
By Thursday, August 17, preparations were in top gear; the groom, an Abeokuta, Ogun state native, had with his family and friends arrived Ogbomoso. The late Rebecca had been in Ogbomoso since Monday.
“Everything was set by Friday, the cows had been slaughtered and the meat fried, every necessary preparation was made, there were a lot of people coming and going to rejoice with us, the groom and his people had come from Abeokuta,” a sister-in-law of the deceased, who did not however mention her name, told ogbomosoinsightonline.com at their residence at Caretaker area, on Wednesday, in the presence of the father of the deceased, Evangelist Moses Oyedotun.
She further informed that the parents of the groom in fact had slaughtered their cow in Ogbomoso, Abiodun is their only child, excitement filled the air, not knowing tragedy was ominously lurking in the corner.
“We had bought ewedu to be used, ingredients had been ground, and in the morning of Saturday, amala (yam flour paste) was made, rice was ready, the venues were set, but the ceremony never held as the bride was never available,” the sister-in-law bemoaned.
Asked if the lady had shown signs of sickness she answered in the negative stressing she was hale and hearty.
Though the mother of the deceased, Mrs. Ruth Oyedotun, could not utter a single word, visibly overtaken by grief, the father, Evangelist Oyedotun of C&S Reformed Church, Isale-High School area, managed to say everything was going on perfectly until about 10:30pm Friday when she with her friends were having the bridal shower ceremony and she reportedly slumped.
“We quickly took her to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso. After some time she was revived and she appeared stable and by dawn of Saturday, a nurse told us quoting a doctor that she would be briefly discharged to attend the ceremony to sign the marriage documents and be returned to continue the treatment,” Oyedotun informed.
“But then her condition deteriorated again and so she was confined to the bed. We even were required to take her to Bowen University Teaching Hospital for some tests which we promptly did. Her husband who on learning fainted and was later anxiously crying, ‘let me take her away.’ We were in the hospital throughout that Saturday.”
Her condition did not improve until she gave up the host Sunday morning.
It was learnt many guests who never got wind of the development were already in the church Saturday to witness the event and rejoice with the couple “only to meet the church empty.”
The 28 year-old Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger state graduate, was said to have served in Lagos state where she alter secured a job and working there until her mysterious death.
She was described as a gentle, easy-going lady, who was devoted to the service of God.
