…Deacon Steve Eyo collapses moments after urging mourners to “number your days and prepare”
What began as a solemn burial ceremony at Aleto in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State on Friday turned into a deeply tragic and unforgettable scene when the resident pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Aleto, Deacon Steve Eyo, reportedly collapsed and died while delivering a sermon on death.
The tragedy occurred in the presence of more than 300 mourners and other attendees who had gathered to bid farewell to the deceased.
Eyo was delivering a message titled “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond”, in which he spoke extensively about the inevitability of death, the unpredictability of life’s end and the need for people to live with eternity in view.
According to eyewitness accounts published by several Nigerian news platforms, the pastor commenced the sermon at about 1:10 p.m., speaking with energy and clarity.
About 15 minutes later, at approximately 1:25 p.m., tragedy struck.
As he was bringing the sermon to a close, Eyo suddenly collapsed, with his microphone reportedly falling to the ground with a loud sound.
The irony of the moment stunned those present.
The preacher had been speaking about the certainty and suddenness of death—and within moments, he himself had collapsed before the congregation.
During his sermon, Eyo reportedly used the analogy of going to the market to explain the unpredictability of human existence.
He told the mourners that just as people go to the market at different times and leave at different times, human beings also enter and leave the world at different moments.
“Some people leave the market early, while others stay until late. In the same way, some people die early, while others live longer.”
He reportedly reminded the congregation that death could come when least expected and urged them not to take life for granted.
He also emphasised that the burial was more than a farewell to the deceased—it was a reminder to the living that everyone would eventually face mortality.
Eyewitnesses said the pastor remained apparently well and energetic throughout most of the message.
When he suddenly fell while concluding the sermon, some people initially thought he was demonstrating the very point he had been making—that death could come suddenly and without warning.
But the atmosphere quickly changed when it became apparent that the collapse was not part of the sermon.
Church ministers, choir members and other attendees reportedly rushed to assist him.
He was taken to a quieter area behind the preaching platform while prayers were offered and people with medical knowledge at the venue reportedly attempted to provide first aid.
According to eyewitness accounts, his condition deteriorated and a person with medical knowledge reportedly observed that he was no longer breathing.
A desperate attempt was then made to get him to a medical facility.
In one of the most poignant twists to the tragedy, Eyo was reportedly rushed to the nearest hospital in the same ambulance that had been hired to convey the remains of the person whose burial ceremony he had been attending.
Despite the efforts to save him, he was reportedly confirmed dead at the medical facility, after which his remains were taken to a mortuary. Multiple reports published on October 3 carried substantially the same account.
The circumstances or medical cause of his sudden death had not been publicly established in the reports available at the time of publication. It would therefore be inappropriate to speculate about what caused the fatal collapse.
Perhaps the most emotionally striking aspect of the incident was the reported message with which Eyo ended his sermon.
Before collapsing, he reportedly told the mourners:
“Number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime.”
Moments later, he fell.
The words, which were intended as a spiritual admonition to the congregation, immediately assumed a profound and painful significance.
Several reports described the incident as surreal, with mourners struggling to comprehend how the preacher who had been addressing them about death could suddenly become the subject of the same message.
The tragedy has inevitably given Eyo’s final sermon a haunting dimension.
He had reportedly told those gathered that death is certain but death is not necessarily the end, emphasising the Christian belief in judgment and the need for people to live wisely and prepare for eternity.
His message was essentially a call to consciousness: that human beings may plan their days, careers, families and futures, but cannot determine the precise moment when life will end.
The events that followed transformed that theological lesson into an extraordinary real-life reminder.
As the Book of Psalms puts it:
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12
The incident has reportedly left church members, mourners and residents of Aleto deeply shocked.
What was expected to be a farewell gathering for one deceased person suddenly became a scene of emergency intervention for another member of the community.
The emotional weight of the event was heightened by the fact that Eyo was reportedly in the middle of a sermon specifically devoted to mortality when his own life suddenly ended.
Reports from multiple news platforms published on October 3 identify him as the Resident Pastor of RCCG Aleto and consistently describe the incident as occurring during a funeral/burial ceremony in Eleme, Rivers State.
The tragedy presents one of life’s most sobering paradoxes.
The pastor came to speak to the living about the death of another person. He reminded them that nobody knows the hour of departure. He urged them to prepare, live wisely and number their days.
Then, without warning, he became the unexpected subject of the very message he was preaching.
It is a reminder of the fragility of human existence—not as a basis for fear or superstition, but as a profound call to live responsibly, cherish relationships, serve humanity and prepare for the inevitable end of earthly life.
The preacher came to the burial ground carrying a message about death; before he could leave, death had rewritten the message with his own life.
For everyone who witnessed the incident, the memory is likely to endure for a long time.
And perhaps the most enduring words from the tragic afternoon in Aleto will remain those reportedly spoken by Deacon Steve Eyo moments before his collapse:
“Number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime.”
The sermon ended. The lesson did not.
