Tragedy in Rivers as RCCG Pastor Collapses, Dies While Preaching at Funeral

Mourners at a burial service in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, were thrown into panic and grief on Friday after the presiding cleric, Deacon Steve Eyo, collapsed and died on the pulpit while preaching on the certainty of death.

Eyo, the Resident Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Aleto, was delivering a sermon titled “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond” before a crowd of over 300 attendees when tragedy struck around 1:25 p.m.

Eyewitnesses said the pastor, who mounted the podium at about 1:10 p.m., had spent the first 15 minutes urging the congregation to reflect on the fragility of life.

He had reportedly compared human existence to a bustling marketplace where some shoppers finish their business early and leave, while others stay behind until evening.

The tragedy took an eerie turn when Eyo suddenly collapsed just after telling the congregation to “number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime.”

The sudden fall initially left the congregation confused, with many believing the pastor had dropped to the floor as a theatrical illustration of how abruptly death arrives.

The mood turned frantic when he failed to get back up, prompting assistant pastors, choir members, and guests with medical experience to rush to the altar to administer first aid while others broke into prayers.

With no other emergency transport on site, the unconscious cleric was rushed to a nearby hospital in the very ambulance chartered to convey the casket of the deceased person whose funeral he was officiating.

Doctors at the hospital confirmed him dead on arrival, and his remains were deposited at the morgue.

The exact medical cause of the sudden collapse has not been disclosed, but the tragic timing of his passing has left both the church community and residents of Aleto in shock.