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Daniel Edechukwu
“Within minutes of being
lifted into the ambulance Daniel felt himself dying." |
The following banner headline appeared in
the Nigerian newspaper,
The Post Express.
“BONNKE RAISES MAN FROM DEATH IN
ONITSHA”.
Was it true, a divine miracle, or
sensationalist press exaggeration? Jesus did say, “Though one rose from
the dead they would not believe.” Judge for yourself. The evidence and
facts are here without embroidery but on the very spot they stunned
critical journalists and left them speechless. |
Crossing Death's
Path
In the morning of November 30th 2001, Daniel Ekechukwu, the pastor of
the Power Chapel Evangelical Church in Onitsha, with his friend Kingsley
Iruka took a Christmas present of a goat to his father in a village near
the town of Owerri. Daniel drove his 20-year-old Mercedes 230. On the
way back home, traveling down a steep road, the Mercedes brakes failed.
Daniel could do nothing. Gathering speed the vehicle hurtled downhill
unstoppable. Its career, and Daniel’s, ended as it smashed into a stone
pillar.
Without a seat belt Daniel was catapulted violently forward. His head
hit the windscreen and the steering wheel and knob punched into his
body. Daniel’s friend Kingsley Iruka, shocked though not badly hurt,
turned to Daniel, hoping all was well. But the sight appalled him. Blood
was pouring from Daniel’s nose from a head injury, and then he began
vomiting blood from heavy internal hemorrhage.
Rescue presently came. Marvelously Daniel held up until he was placed in
the local hospital’s intensive care, or the Nigerian best equivalent of
it. His wife, Nneka was sent for. She found Daniel still alive but only
just. He hung on to life to ask her to have him taken to his family
doctor’s hospital in Owerri – a very serious mistake. It meant anything
but a smooth ride of one and a half hours.
Within minutes of being lifted into the ambulance Daniel felt himself
dying. He tried to whisper his last words and instructions to Nneka.
Especially he begged her to see the work of their church continued. He
also tried to inform her about one or two church situations she ought to
be aware of, but his speech slurred, became incoherent and stopped as he
drifted into unconsciousness.
The ambulance driver pushed on however, at full speed, warning sirens
blaring. Reaching the Owerri Regional Hospital they ran in shouting
“Emergency! Emergency.” Daniel’s doctor, however, was not on duty.
Instead a member of the medical staff took charge and checked Daniel’s
now limp form. He turned to them with a sad face. He could only certify
that Daniel was already dead.
His wife Nneka naturally was shocked. But a Bible verse had been ringing
in her mind from Hebrews 11 “Women received their dead raised to life
again.” An irrational conviction seized her. This meant her. She would
see Daniel alive and well again. In what follows Nneka was the key
figure.
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