Police in Ebonyi State, southeast Nigeria, want the state government to place a ban on every funeral wake in the state.
Common in that part of the region, a funeral wake is an all-night get-together before the actual funeral takes place, which allows family and friends to share their memories of the deceased.
But according to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Loveth Odah, funeral wake events are no longer safe in the state.
On the 15th of April 2021, tragedy befell a family as their 29-year-old son, Chukwudi Chukwu, was reportedly shot dead by a self-acclaimed vigilante.
The deceased was said to be attending a wake with his friend at Mebiokpa village in Okposi community, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi state, when a gun-wielding man identified as Hosanna Aju allegedly opened fire on him.
Sadly, the deceased was set to get married within two weeks before the tragic incident.
Confirming the incident to reporters, the Police Public Relations Officer said that the culprit is already cooling off in their custody and would be charged to court on Monday on various counts including homicide and illegal possession of arms.
The police image maker, however, regretted that a lot of unnecessary deaths have occurred in the recent past, as a result of the funeral wake.
With the events that led to the death of Chukwudi, residents have expressed concern about the rate of illegal arms in circulation across the state and country in general.