A day of celebration was turned into a mournful one in Ikyangedu community, Keana Local Government Area, Nasarawa State last Saturday as a groom was knocked dead by a Toyota Hilux van two hours to his wedding.
The would be bride, Miss Rosemary Hudu, and her would-be husband, John Abugu, appeared to have everything under wraps until tragedy struck as Abugu was returning from the dry cleaner’s shop where he had gone with his friend on a motorcycle to collect the suit he would wear for the wedding scheduled to hold at the Baptist Church in the community.
Speaking on the sad incident, the late Abugu’s friend, Mr Julius Abugu, who was with him on the bike at the time the accident occurred, recalled that he and the late groom had gone to pick his wedding suit at the dry cleaner at about 8.30 am on the fateful day as the wedding was scheduled for 10 am.
He attributed Abugu’s inability to sight the Hilux van to the dizziness that might have resulted from the pressure of running around to see that things were in order for the wedding.
Things were said to have taken a turn for the worse when Abugu started vomiting uncontrollably at the hospital.
Julius said: “I can’t really explain how the whole event turned out that way. John (Abugu) was full of life and we were together going up and down to see that the arrangement was in order.
“He was so happy that he was going to get married the next day. He was busy the previous day receiving his friends who were coming from long distances.
Julius described his late friend as a committed young man who was very accommodating.
Father of the bride, Mr Patrick Hudu, said: “We do not want this. We did not pray for this. It is not our desire. It is not our expectations.
“We are human, we are flesh, so we are not going to see it the way you see it, Lord. We are going to see it the way you see it Lord, we are going to be pained and we are actually pained, but God knows better.”