CAUSE OF DEATH? Nigerians on Facebook are saying The Evening Church pastor, Runcie Mike, died after he committed suicide in Akwa Ibom

Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Nigerians on Facebook are saying The Evening Church pastor, Runcie Mike, died after he committed suicide.

According to reports, the Pastor, whose church is located at the Shopping Mall, Tropicana Centre, Uyo, passed away on Saturday, July 1, in Uyo after a short illness. He is survived by his wife and two children.

The church requested prayers from the body of Christ during this time of grief, particularly for the Pastor’s immediate family.

“In this time of grief, we enjoin the body of Christ to hold us up in prayers and most especially, His immediate family,” the church announced.

In other news, a Nigerian student identified as Ifeanyichukwu Oseke has reportedly gotten into a brawl and was tragically stabbed on Sunday night at a Scarborough plaza in Canada. A tech enthusiast and movie director, Thomas Etuk, told PREMIUM TIMES that The Evening Church “is not a church per say but a platform for raising young minds.”

Mr Etuk, who had an appointment with the late cleric on Sunday (today) to plan for a programme he (deceased) wanted to fix for entrepreneurs, said Mr Mike was focused on equipping young people with skills.

Mr Mike, before his passing, made a Facebook post about a burial ceremony of his late female church member, Joy Ekpenyong, which he was going to officiate on Thursday.

“I don’t even know how to process the emotions since I heard of your demise after the surgery we spoke about, then to be told that I was going to be the one officiating the funeral is too hard for me to bear as this will be the first time I will be officiating a funeral in my entire life. I hope it goes smooth cuz this will be too triggering,” he had said in the post.

He made the Facebook post on Wednesday, officiated the burial ceremony on Thursday, and passed away on Saturday morning. Many people have been left wondering what Mr Mike meant by “too triggering”.

In a short video clip of the burial ceremony, the cleric is seen weeping profusely near the woman’s coffin.

The cause of Mr Mike’s death remains uncertain for now but a statement from his church, posted on Facebook, said he died after a “very brief sickness.”