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Strange death of Nigeria’s
oldest man
•This man,160, never took photograph in his life time.
He died the day a camera man came to take his picture
By Sun News Publishing
Monday, January 5, 2009
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•Onoforere
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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This photograph you are looking at is that of a dead man.
Strange isn’t it? But that is true. Pa Aki Onoforere
whose age is put at 160, probably making him Nigeria’s
oldest man, never took any photograph in his life time.
Strangely though, on the day he was to pass on, he sent for
a photographer but before the camera man arrived, the man
popularly known as ‘Papa Sure’ had passed on.
His grand children quikly bought a chair,sat his lifeless
body on it and asked the photographer to take their grandpa’s
first and final photograph. That is the picture you are looking
at in this page.
Pa Onoforere’s story is stranger than fiction.
It was gathered that on that fateful morning when Onoforere
alias ‘Papa Sure’ was to take his final exit,
he went round Evwreni, his home town in Delta State and exchanged
pleasantries with many people before he retired to his house.
On getting home, he was said to have sent for a photographer
to snap him but before the arrival of the photographer, ‘Papa
sure’ had already taken his exit.
Papa’s grand daughter, Miss Faustina Efe Mukoro, who
shed more light on life and times of ‘Papa Sure’
described as wonderful and miraculous, the life the deceased
led.
Faustina said Papa started his life like every other person
and latter got married at a tender age but all the first set
of children he had that time died in a mysterious manner.
"Unlike the Biblical Job that lost his children at a
time, Papa attempted to commit suicide but his uncle took
him to a Yoruba town called Atijeren where he settled and
got married to many women and had a lot of children",
explained Faustina.
On why her grand father was called "Papa Sure",
Faustina who is presently the Headmistress. Revival International
Mission School Agbarho, further explained that the deceased
was a super tradio-Medic who never failed in healing people
afflicted with various kinds of disease.
"Papa was a disciplinarian and he kept to his promise
that the day he will die, birds will fly all over Evwreni
town and neigbbouring villages and will also serve as a signal
of his departure to all his family no matter where they are
and this actually happened", said Faustina who was pointing
repeatedly to the tomb of the deceased.
According to her, immediately after the death of Papa, he
was quickly arranged on a chair and his photograph was taken
which is the picture you are seeing in this publication.
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