Encomium
Not much has been heard after the release of six out of the eight people arrested by the police in connection with the killing of the RCCG Evangelist Eunice Elisha Olawale was slaughtered in Gbazango-West area of Kubwa, Abuja on Saturday (July 9, 2016) around 5:30 am by unidentified persons during ‘Morning Cry’. However, Pastor Biola Egebeyemi, Area Pastor of Mrs. Olawale’s parish disclosed that no one will tolerate sweeping the issue under the carpet.
Pastor Egbeyemi further disclosed that the burial ceremony of late preacher due for today (July 14, 2016) has been suspended by the family and the church till investigations is completed and the result of the autopsy made public. Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has been engaged “to hold their brief in court in a bid to bring the perpetrators of the act to book”.
Pastor Segun Adegbiji, head of RCCG’S Media and Public Relations Department, on Tuesday (July 12, 2016) issued a statement pleading with members of the church and other Nigerians not to take laws into their hands.
“We are indeed in a sad mood in RCCG. As sweet as heaven is, death of our youths is not what we wish for.
“We shall not cease to pray that God will end bloodshed in Nigeria and all over the world, we sympathise with the widower, our pastor, Elisha Olawale and their seven children.
“Our Mother-in-Israel, Pastor Folu Adeboye and Pastor Emmanuel Ibitayo of Region 10, Abuja, paid a condolence visit to the family on Sunday.”
RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye during his visit to the family of the deceased encouraged the husband of the evangelist and her seven children who are still very young that she had left them for a better place. The wife of the Vice President, Mrs Oludolapo Osinbajo, among others has also shared their sympathy by visiting the family.
John Noel who appears to be a colleague of the late Mrs. Eunice Elisha Olawale at RCCG Bible School, today shared some pictures taken back in the day
The first daughter of the late deaconess, Jessica Olawale, a 15-year-old Senior Secondary School 2 student recalls her mother’s last words. “The evening before she was killed, she woke me up to follow her somewhere. When we got to a junction, she paid a shopkeeper who she was owing.
“When we were returning home, she asked me if I noticed the love between her and her siblings, she then asked me to love my siblings as well and bring them together. She said I am supposed to love them and be their mother.
“The last thing she told me before she died was ‘good night dear’.”
Late Mrs. Eunice Olawale’s elder brother, Prophet Ayodele Olusesan, described his sister and shared her intentions for the family: “There is no day I don’t talk with her on the phone; I still spoke with her around 7pm on Friday and she promised to refund any amount spent on our father who is ill and is in hospital.
“Eunice had also promised to complete the house my father was building and she also said she would buy him a car; she was a very industrious woman; she studied Quantity Surveying, and she was into property business, so she was doing well financially.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) worried by these happenings has given a timeline of such related occurrences within the space of one month. The Christian body listed a clergy of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Reverend Zakariya who was killed last week by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Obi Local Government Area of Nassarawa State, the murder of 74-year-old Mrs. Bridget Agbaheme at Wambai Market, Kano roughly a month ago after some arguments with a Muslim man who came to the front of her shop to perform ablution and now 42-year-old, mother of seven, Mrs. Eunice Olawale.
According to CAN, more worrisome is the lukewarm reaction of the government in power towards the evils being perpetrated in the name of religion.
A similar body, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) through its National President, Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude, also condemned the killing in strong terms and the possibility of it posing a threat to Nigeria’s unity.
Another group, Christian Brotherhood Association of Nigeria, described the murder as “outrageous, barbaric, abominable and sadism of the worst order.”
