The remains of the late ARISE News anchor, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, have been buried amid tears at Agulu, Anaocha local government area of Anambra State with the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in attendance on Saturday.
The deceased, fondly called ‘Sommie’ while alive, died
during an armed robbery attack at her residence in Abuja in September.
The remains of the journalist were interred after the funeral Mass at St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Agulu, in the presence of her family members, relatives, friends, colleagues, and other dignitaries.
Delivering a homily at the burial mass at St Theresa Catholic Church, Agulu, Rev. Fr. Peter Ezewuzie, consoled the family, asking them to take solace in the fact that Sommie lived a quality life.
Ezewuzie said, “The Lord who created us knows the beginning from the end. He is all-knowing, and some of you may be unhappy that a life has been cut short, but you won’t know if that is how God planned it.
“He (God) is an all-knowing father, so I urge you to grieve less. God, who gave Christelle Somtoo Maduagwu to your family, loves her more than you do. The only thing you owe her is to continue to remember her in your prayers. She is in a better place today and will always remember us, too.
“The maturity of life is the quality of life lived and not how long, and we can be sure that our sister lived a quality life. Let us strive to live our lives well. We are not here by chance; there is someone who brought us here, and he expects that you will live a good life because no one knows when it will be their time.”
Also speaking after the funeral Mass, Opposition figure Peter Obi, a native of Agulu, described Sommie’s death as heartbreaking and a painful reminder of the insecurity plaguing the nation.
Obi said, “We can not question God. When I heard of her death, I didn’t know that she was from Agulu, even before I tweeted about it.
“Our coming here will help to console you, but we know that this loss is a huge one. It is the wish of God, and none of us can question God. Please do remember her and her immediate family in your prayers.
“Before I left Birmingham yesterday, I told some people who were with me that I was rushing back to Nigeria for the burial of one of my daughters. I told them to remember to pray for her all the time, as she will be buried today.”
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