Tears flowed freely as the late Rebekah Sekidika, a distinguished Microbiology graduate from Benson Idahosa University, was laid to rest at the Port Harcourt cemetery in Rivers State. Her father, Sampson Sekidika, revealed that she passed away on February 2, 2024, during a medical procedure at Paragon Clinics and Image Diagnosis in Port Harcourt.
Family, friends, and mourners gathered at the Military Hospital in Port Harcourt early in the morning to pay their respects. Later, at the ‘Vaults and Gardens’ section of the cemetery, a solemn funeral service led by Bishop Chris Ebata took place, with Rebekah’s sibling reading from Thessalonians chapter 4: 13 to 15.
The bishop alluded to possible errors leading to Rebekah’s untimely passing, urging for improvements in Nigeria’s healthcare system. He concluded with prayers for the family’s strength in coping with the loss, emphasizing the inevitability of death in life.
Rebekah’s father reiterated his call for justice, attributing her death to medical negligence. He lamented the truncation of her academic aspirations, including plans to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK, which were abruptly halted by her demise.
Attendees, overcome with grief, sobbed during the viewing of Rebekah’s body and as she was laid to rest, highlighting the profound impact of her loss on all who knew her.