RCCG Pastor Dies While Preaching on Death at Rivers Funeral

A burial ceremony in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, turned tragic on Friday, October 2, when Deacon Steve Eyo, Resident Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in the community, collapsed and died while delivering a sermon on the certainty of death.

The service, attended by more than 300 mourners and guests, was proceeding solemnly when Eyo mounted the podium around 1:10 p.m. to preach on the theme “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond.” Speaking with energy and clarity, he told the congregation that death is unavoidable and comes to everyone. He compared life to a visit to the market: some people leave early, others stay until late; similarly, some die young while others live longer. Death, he stressed, can arrive when least expected.

He linked the burial itself to a broader spiritual message, noting that death is not the end because judgment follows, and urged those present to number their days and live wisely. According to multiple eyewitness accounts, his final words as he rounded off the message were: “Number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime soon.

At approximately 1:25 p.m.—about 15 minutes into the sermon—Eyo suddenly collapsed. The microphone fell to the floor with a loud sound.

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Many in the crowd initially believed he was dramatising the suddenness of death he had just described. That assumption quickly faded as it became clear he was in genuine distress.

Church ministers, choir members, and attendees with medical knowledge rushed to his aid. They moved him aside, offered prayers, administered first aid, and in some accounts attempted chest compressions. A person with medical training present noted that his breathing had stopped. With no other emergency vehicle available, the unconscious pastor was placed in the same ambulance that had been hired to transport the remains of the person whose funeral he was officiating and rushed to the nearest hospital.

Medical staff there confirmed him dead on arrival. His body was later taken to the mortuary. No official cause of death has been publicly disclosed.

The incident has left the Aleto community and RCCG members in the area in shock and mourning. The coincidence of the sermon’s subject and the pastor’s sudden collapse has drawn particular attention across local reports, underscoring the very message he delivered in his final moments.