Saturday 19th August would have been Rebecca Oyedotun’s happiest day; the day every member of her family have been praying to witness, a day when she would have tied the nutpial knot with the man she chose to spend the rest of her life with. But, her dream of marriage did not come to pass.
Virtually all arrangements had been concluded, some members of the groom family had arrived Ogbomoso waiting for Saturday when their son, Abiodun Oluwadamilare would be joined together with Rebecca Oyedotun as husband and wife but the unexpected happened.
At about 10:30 pm on Friday when the 28-year-old graduate of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State and her friends were having the bridal shower, she reportedly slumped and was rushed to Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso. She was said to have been revived and but her condition was not stable until she passed on on Sunday morning.
“Everything was set by Friday, the cows had been slaughtered and the meat fried, every necessary preparation was made, there were a lot of people coming and going to rejoice with us, the groom and his people had come from Abeokuta”, a sister-in-law of the deceased, who did not mention her name, told newsmen at their residence at Caretaker area, on Wednesday, in the presence of the father of the deceased, Evangelist Moses Oyedotun.
She further informed that the parents of the groom in fact had slaughtered their cow in Ogbomoso, Abiodun is their only child, excitement filled the air, not knowing tragedy was ominously lurking in the corner.
“We had bought ewedu to be used, ingredients had been ground, and in the morning of Saturday, amala (yam flour paste) was made, rice was ready, the venues were set, but the ceremony never held as the bride was never available”, the sister-in-law bemoaned.
Evangelist Oyedotun of C&S Reformed Church, Isale-High School area who managed to explain how it happened, said: “Everything was going on perfectly until about 10:30 pm Friday when she and her friends were having the bridal shower ceremony and she reportedly slumped.
“We quickly took her to LAUTECH in Ogbomoso. After some time she was revived and she appeared stable and by dawn of Saturday, a nurse told us, quoting a doctor, that she would be briefly discharged to attend the ceremony to sign the marriage documents and be returned to continue the treatment”, Oyedotun informed.
“But then her condition deteriorated again, so she was confined to the bed. We even were required to take her to Bowen University Teaching Hospital for some tests which we promptly did. Her husband, who, on learning of the situation, fainted and was later anxiously crying, ‘let me take her away.’ We were in the hospital throughout that Saturday. Her condition did not improve until she gave up the ghost Sunday morning”.
It was learnt many guests, who did not get wind of the development, were already in the church Saturday to witness the event and rejoice with the couple “only to meet the church empty”.
Rebecca was said to have served in Lagos State.
She was described as a gentle, easy-going lady, who was devoted to the service of God.
