By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
It was all tears and gloom as the remains of the late ARISE TV news anchor, Somtochukwu ‘Sommie’ Maduagwu, were laid to rest in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Sommie was buried on Saturday, October 18, in the presence of family members, relatives, friends, colleagues, and other dignitaries, including the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The 29-year-old, who died during an armed robbery attack at her residence in Abuja on Monday, September 29, was interred at about 1:30 pm after the funeral Mass at St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Agulu.
While delivering a homily at the mass, Reverend Father Peter Ezewuzie consoled the family and urged them to take solace in the fact that Sommie lived a quality life.
“The Lord who created us knows the beginning from the end. He is all-knowing, and some of you may be unhappy that a life has been cut short, but you won’t know if that is how God planned it.
“He (God) is an all-knowing father, so I urge you to grieve less. God, who gave Christelle Somto Maduagwu to your family, loves her more than you do. The only thing you owe her is to continue to remember her in your prayers. She is in a better place today and will always remember us, too.
“The maturity of life is the quality of life lived and not how long, and we can be sure that our sister lived a quality life. Let us strive to live our lives well. We are not here by chance; there is someone who brought us here, and he expects that you will live a good life because no one knows when it will be their time,” Rev Father Ezewuzie said.
At the funeral mass, Peter Obi, an indigene of Agulu, described Sommie’s death as heartbreaking and a painful reminder of the insecurity plaguing the nation.
Obi said: “We cannot question God. When I heard of her death, I didn’t know that she was from Agulu, even before I tweeted about it.
“Our coming here will help to console you, but we know that this loss is a huge one. It is the wish of God, and none of us can question God. Please do remember her and her immediate family in your prayers.
“Before I left Birmingham yesterday, I told some people who were with me that I was rushing back to Nigeria for the burial of one of my daughters. I told them to remember to pray for her all the time, as she will be buried today.”
The uncle to the late Sommie, Mr Obi Maduagwu, praised the management of Arise TV for standing by the family from the moment the news of their daughter’s death broke.
He said: “We thank the management of Arise News. They have been with us right from the beginning. We thank all who journeyed all the way to be with us.”
The news of Sommie’s death shook Nigeria’s media community and sparked conversations among Nigerians on social media about violent robberies in many parts of the country.
Tributes have since poured in from colleagues, friends, and prominent Nigerians, who described her as intelligent, hardworking, and full of life.
