Hilary Odili Okeke, concerning the cancellation of the burial arrangement of Late Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Edmund Nwagbala, the family of the dead priest have described the publication as “Most Embarrassing”
It will be recalled that earlier last week, the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, His Lordship, the Most Rev. Hilary Odili Okeke, through a press release, announced that the family of Rev. Fr. Edmund Nwagbala went to court to stop the burial of Rev. Fr. Edmund Nwagbala until they have completed their investigation on the circumstances that led to his death.
According to the press release, the court granted an interim order of injunction, suspending the burial of Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Edmund Amaobi Nwagbala, whose burial was scheduled to hold on Wednesday, 15th January, 2020.
The Bishop while praying God to touch the heart of the family of Nwagbala, noted that the family of Fr. Nwagbala secured a court order restraining the 1st Defendant/Respondent (Commissioner of Police Anambra State) from authorizing the 2nd Defendant (Most Rev. Dr. Hilary Odili Okeke) or priests, servants or workers serving under him from burying or performing the burial/funeral ceremony of the said Very Rev. Dr. Edmund Nwagbala (Deceased), until the completion of a fresh and proper autopsy to be conducted on the dead body of Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Edmund Nwagbala.
Re: Important Information About the Burial of Late Very Rev. Fr. Nwagbala.
The attention of Late Louis Nwagbala family of Okpuno Ebenator, Uruagu, Nnewi, Anambra State has been drawn to a publication signed by His Lordship the Most Rev. Hilary Odili Okeke, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi concerning funeral/burial arrangements of late Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Edmund Nwagbala whose circumstances of death are yet to be known and investigations still uncompleted.
The said publication is most embarrassing to the deceased priest’s family who are now worried why the Diocese is in a hurry to bury our son when all investigations to ascertain the circumstances leading to his death are yet to be completed.
For the Bishop of the Diocese to say “until they (Nwagbala’s family) have completed their investigation of his death” gives a wrong impression that it is the duty of the family alone to investigate the death of Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Edmund Nwagbala.
The family is quite interested to know the circumstances surrounding the death of their son before he is buried and that proper investigation has to be done by the police. ln fact we expect the Church to be at the forefront of the investigation to forestall future reoccurrence. But ironically, reverse seems to be the case for inexplicable reasons. But who knows the next victim tomorrow, if we allow this to be swept under the carpet.
The Bishop also in the publication said: “may God touch the hearts of the members of his family so that they will do whatever they are doing for the good of the late Very Rev. Fr. Edmund Nwagbala and for peace and good of all.”
Let the point be made clear that we do not have any other thing as our motive outside to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of our son. After all, it was the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano backed by the Anambra State House of Assembly that called for an enquiry into circumstances that led to Fr Nwagbala’s death in the first instance and not the family, ostensibly after they suspected a foul play.
It is our stand that the corpse of our son, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Edmund Nwagbala now deposited in the morgue will not be buried or removed for burial until a proper autopsy is conducted on the said body by at least two qualified pathologists working independently for the purpose of determining the cause of death.
The Diocese and Nwagbala family can jointly engage or arrange for at least two qualified pathologists employed in reputable hospitals or tertiary institution to independently conduct a fresh and proper autopsy on the body of late Fr. Nwagbala whose sudden, mysterious and unnatural death occurred in the early hours of Saturday, 16th day of November 2019.
The family strongly believes and stands for due process which is in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is on record that the Nwagbala family has also contributed immensely to the spread of the gospel and would not in any way like to engage in anything that could retard the growth of the gospel.
Finally, we wish to express our immense gratitude to the clergy, the religious, the lay faithful and members of the public who have continued to show their strong solidarity to our family in the quest to unravel the circumstances that led to the brutal death of our beloved son, Fr. Edmund Nwagbala. May God reward you all.
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