A Nigerian bride, Rebecca Oyedotun, who was supposed to tie the knot with her fiancé, Abiodun Oluwadamilare, on Saturday, August 19, 2023, in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, died tragically on the morning of her wedding day.
The bride, who was a graduate of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, collapsed during her bridal shower ceremony on Friday night and never recovered.
According to Ogbomoso Online, Rebecca and her friends were celebrating her bridal shower at her residence at Caretaker area, when she suddenly slumped around 2 a.m. on Saturday.
She was rushed to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso, where she was resuscitated but remained in a critical condition until she passed away on Sunday morning.
The news of her death came as a shock to her family, friends, and guests, who had gathered to witness her wedding ceremony.
The groom, Abiodun, who is an only child of his parents, had travelled from Abeokuta with his relatives for the occasion. The parents of the groom had also slaughtered a cow in Ogbomoso as a gesture of goodwill and joy.
The sister-in-law of the deceased, who preferred not to be named, told Ogbomoso Online that everything was ready for the wedding by Friday evening. “The cows had been slaughtered and the meat fried, every necessary preparation was made, there were a lot of people coming and going to rejoice with us,” she said.
She added that they had bought ewedu (a leafy vegetable) and other ingredients for the food, and had cooked amala (yam flour paste) and rice for the guests. The venues for the church service and the reception were also set. “But the ceremony was never held as the bride was never available,” she lamented.
The father of the deceased, Evangelist Moses Oyedotun, who was also present during the interview, expressed his grief and sorrow over the loss of his daughter.
He said that Rebecca was his first child and a very obedient and respectful daughter. He said that he had accepted her death as the will of God and prayed for the comfort of his family and the groom’s family.
The cause of Rebecca’s death is still unknown, as the hospital has not released any official statement on the matter.
However, some sources speculated that she might have suffered from a heart attack or a stroke due to stress or excitement. The funeral arrangements for Rebecca have not been announced yet.
