Tragedy struck at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Avurugo in Iglamela/Odolu Local Government Area of Kogi state on Palm Sunday when a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kizito Amen, collapsed and died in the church during the service.

The deceased, a retired civil servant, who hailed from Nokwa, was until his death, the PDP vice chairman, Avurugo Ward in Iglamela/Odolu LGA.

An eyewitness said the late Ameh was hale and hearty as he danced throughout the praise and worship session that preceded the preaching of the day by the Revd Father Cornelius Ameh.

The day’s preaching said the source, centered on death, with the clergy urging the congregation to be ever prepared to meet their creator at any time.

It was when the sermon was on that Ameh reportedly slumped and died before help could reach him.

The body of the late Ameh was said to have been taken to a nearby hospital in the village where Dr Joseph Iduh, a staff of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, who is from the village and holidaying at home, was said to have pronounced him dead.

The body of the deceased was later taken to the Bishop Shanaham Hospital, Nsukka in nearby Anambra State, for autopsy.

The Catholic Bishop of Idah Diocese, John Adaji described the death as shocking and prayed that such should not be witnessed again in the community or anywhere else.

Efforts to confirm the incident from the Kogi State Police Command proved abortive.

Calls to the mobile phone of the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. William Aya, went unanswered.

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