Adibe Emeyonu in Benin City
Abdul-Aziz Amodu, son of the late Shuaibu Amodu, said he woke up to receive the news of his father’s death on a day he planned to depart for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Abdul-Aziz, 26, who is a graduate of the Igbinedion University, Okada, added that he last spoke with his father on Friday and that the late Amodu “was not particularly sick” before his death yesterday morning.
“I just woke up this morning (Saturday) and saw someone rush to the house to say that Shuaibu Amodu was dead. The person said I should tell my uncle. I asked if the person was talking about my father and he said yes; that it happened this morning.
“My last conversation with my father was yesterday (Friday) morning. I was supposed to depart (for NYSC) this morning (Saturday), so I called him over that. He didn’t pick my calls, but he called back. He said he was busy and that I should calm down.
“He said he would be in Okpella today. He briefly said something about death because I knew Stephen Keshi and I asked of him. He said he (Keshi) had not been buried because he was not a Muslim and that if he (Amodu) died he would be buried immediately.
“He was not sick. He had not been fasting in the last three years because of his health condition and I don’t know why he decided to fast this year. He was not particularly sick apart from sickness associated with aging.
“Just two weeks ago, he called me personally and told me that I should work hard. He said I should forget his name and fame. That there is nothing in the world. That I should just be hardworking.”
Meanwhile, a former coach of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, Godwin Izilein, has described Amodu’s death as a mystery to him. Izilein who said he was with Amodu until at about 9pm Friday, said they had agreed to meet again by 10 Saturday morning.
Weeping, Izilein said, “I don’t just know what is happening anymore. We were together last night and he complained of nothing. He was hale and hearty. I got him a driver and he was happy with it. I even went with him to the commissioner of police office to sort out some family issue last night.
“He only said he was hungry and I told him to go home to eat while I go home. It was then we agreed to meet again this morning with the driver I got him.
“I was woken up this morning with a call from his brother that they don’t know what is happening to Amodu. I rushed to Central Hospital and searched all the wards but found him nowhere only for me to be told his lifeless body was in the morgue of Stella Obasanjo hospital.
“I am in a trance, Amodu was a great guy. Seeing his body in the mortuary is a confirmation that he is gone. My greatest pain or fear now is what is going to happen to the family,” he cried.
