Family Gets Nod to Bury Rivers Graduate, Awaits Autopsy Report

Rebekah Sekidika’s family announced that they had obtained police permission to bury her body.

Sekidika was a first-class graduate of Benson Idahosa University in Benin City, Edo State, who passed away during a procedure at a private hospital in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.

Sampson Sekidika, a Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas employee and the father of the 24-year-old girl, told them that his daughter passed away on February 2, 2024, as a result of the medical staff’s carelessness and incompetence during the procedure.

The medical staff was employed by Paragon Clinics and Image Diagnosis in Port Harcourt.

He bemoaned the fact that the deceased had been accepted into an MSc programme in the UK and was scheduled to depart in a few days before the tragic event that took her life and demanded justice.

On Sunday, Sekidika informed our correspondent that the late daughter’s body had undergone an autopsy.

She added that although they were still awaiting the results, they had the police’s permission to bury her remains.

“An autopsy was conducted on Thursday, and samples were sent to two separate medical facilities for the toxicology test,” he said. Upon the completion of the analysis, complete reports will be accessible within a maximum of one month.

“To release the body to the family for burial, I submitted an application to the Deputy Commissioner of Police at the State Criminal and Investigation Department. I can now bury because the police gave me permission to do so.

“Interment at the Vaults and Gardens Cemetery, Port Harcourt, is scheduled for March 2, 2024.

“Even after Rebekah’s body is buried, Sekidika insisted that he would see the case through to the very end to make sure that those found responsible for her death are found, punished, and given the proper justice.