Eunice Elisha: “Dad thinks she’s still alive” and 12 other things we know about slain Abuja preacher
By Rotimi Akinola
1. Mrs. Eunice Olawale, 42, was murdered in Kubwa, Abuja, last Saturday (July 9) while she was preaching at about 5:30am.
2. When her mother was told of the tragic death, she took ill and was immediately hospitalised at the General Hospital in Ilawe-Ekiti, a family source told NewsroomNG.
3. Eunice’s 72-year-old father, Ayodele Akun, has been ill for a while. Her family fears he might die if he learns of his daughter’s death. So they haven’t told him.
4. Eunice was a deaconess at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Abuja where her husband, Olawale Elisha, is pastor.
5. The couple had seven children.
6. Pastor Olawale said his late wife is a Christian martyr. He said: “There was a particular day she went out and she told me that there was a mosque at the back where they commented about what she said. So I just cautioned her.” Eunice was killed three weeks after that incident.
7. Emmanuel Apata, one of Eunice’s family members, protested in Ibadan saying she was “murdered by northern extremists”.
8. The police arrested six people in connection to the killing but are yet to name or parade them.
9. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Abuja has vowed it won’t rest until Eunice’s killers are brought to book. CAN also warned there’s a rise in religious killings in Nigeria. It said the killings could become a national crisis if nothing is done.
10. The CAN leadership visited the family on Tuesday.
11. RCCG leader Pastor Enoch Adeboye also visited the Elishas on Tuesday morning. He said RCCG would do everything necessary to make the family smile again.
12. Dolapo, wife of Nigeria’s VP Yemi Osinbajo who is also an RCCG pastor, visited the bereaved family on Sunday – 24 hours after Eunice was killed.
13. Eunice’s family are meeting to finalise her burial arrangements. Adeboye enjoined all Christians in Abuja to attend the upcoming funeral. The dates would be announced soon.
.
