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The tragic story of the ABEBEs – How they lost five children in 25 years

FOR Pa Christopher Abebe, the first indigenous chairman of UAC Nigeria Limited., and his wife, Mrs. Theresa Abebe, life could be so cruel.

For the nonagerians, who, for more than 20 years now have relocated to their homestead in Ekpoma, Edo State, nothing is as cruel than watching your own children die intermittently.

The couple have lost five of their seven children in the last 25 years to the cold hands of death.

Prior to the death of Henry Abebe, the last child, on August 8, 2014, they had lost four of their children.

Not necessarily in the order of their demise, they have lost, Edwin Abebe, Victor Abebe, Bess Abebe-Abiola and Stella Obasanjo, the first child of the family.

ENCOMIUM Weekly gathered that the first to die was Edwin Abebe. He was the second child of the Abebes. He was said to have died in 1989, of a terminal disease. He was in his 40s when he died.

Edwin’s death was followed by that of Victor Abebe in the 90s. Victor also died of a terminal disease. He was a successful obstetrician and gynecologist. He was married to Dr. Edugie Abebe, the elder sister of Senator Daisy Danjuma.

Mrs. Bess Abebe-Abiola, the sixth child of the family and the immediate elder sister of late Henry Abebe was next to die. She died in 2002, of kidney complications.

Bess, before her death was involved in a paternity mess which eventually led to the break-up of her marriage.

She delivered twins who were later discovered to suffer sickle cell anaemia. Through tests, the husband was discovered not to be the biological father of the twins. The twins were later traced to Professor Oni, the husband of society lady, Joko Oni. The twins eventually died and Bess was only survived by a son.

Barely three years after Bess Abebe’s death, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, the wife of former president Olusegun Obasanjo followed in 2005. Stella Obasanjo died a few weeks before her 60th birthday was supposed to take place on November 14, 2005. She died from complications of cosmetic surgery at a private health clinic in Puerto Banus, Marbella, Spain.

According to reports, the doctor that performed the surgery had misplaced a tube designed for a liposuction procedure into Stella’s abdominal cavity. She sustained a punctured colon and lacerated liver and died two days after the surgery.

Stella Obasanjo who is the first child of the family was survived by her only child, Olu Obasanjo.

The latest death among the Abebe siblings is that of Henry Abebe. Henry was a businessman and former Executive Director at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). He died in a private hospital in Abuja, after he reportedly fell ill.

An unconfirmed report said he died of complications from liver related ailment. Henry was the last of the Abebes children.

He is survived by his wife, Beatrice (nee Moekeme) and his four children – Manny, Anthony, Ikhide and Nicole.

The two surviving children of the Abebes are Dr. John Abebe and Rita Abebe.

Those close to the family disclosed to us that Rita Abebe who was once married to one of Harold Sodipo’s children is presently based in Abuja and she is not enjoying good health.

 

–   TOLANI ABATTI

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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