From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
With over 90% recovery from the severe injuries she sustained in a gas explosion in her catering school, Chisom Nwizi’s family, especially her father, Emmanuel Nwizi, who laboured hard to ensure her survival, were already rejoicing and giving thanks to God, when death played a fast one, inflicting pain, sorrow and tears on the family.
The girl turned 18 in March this year on her hospital bed at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA), and her father, a broadcast journalist with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, took to his social media handle to celebrate her.
“Miracle Queen Angel in a human form is plus one today though still on the hospital sick bed but is well despite all odds because there is a divine promise and assurance that there will be light at the end of the tunnel since his faithfulness, goodness and mercy upon her endure forever. So, there is no cause for alarm; God is still fully in charge,” he wrote.
Chisom was among the eight girls in a catering school in Orokeonuoha, Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, who sustained severe injuries in a gas explosion that occurred in the school. The school, known as Good Shepherd Catering School, belongs to the Catholic Church in the state.
The incident occurred on October 17 last year when one of the students was cooking in the kitchen section of the school with gas and was allegedly answering phone calls. The cylinder exploded and 10 girls sustained severe burns in the disaster.
The victims were on life-support machine at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, where they were taken for medical attention. Six of the victims succumbed to the injuries while Chisom and another victim, Ezinne, kept battling for their dear lives.
Ezinne survived and was discharged by the hospital after over N1 million was paid as her hospital bill by her parents.
Nwizi narrated the incident to Daily Sun that day thus: “I got a call around 6:30am that the kitchen section of Good Shepherd Catering School had been engulfed in fire and I rushed to the place immediately because my daughter was one of the students there.
“When I got there, I saw students discussing in groups. One of them said that it was the carelessness of one of the students, that if one of students didn’t enter the kitchen with her phone, the incident wouldn’t have happened.
“I moved into the school proper and I was told that the victims had been taken to Police Clinic. I quickly rushed to clinic and I was informed that they had been taken to the Accident and Emergency Unit of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.
“When I got there, my brother, it was very severe and it affected 10 students. They are still here in AE-FUTHA with us. Out of this 10, five are still on life-support machine till now.
“My daughter sustained severe burns but I have hope that she will survive. The school authority is doing well, they have been trying since the incident occurred. They have not asked any parent to bring a dime, they are still saying after saving lives first before they will engage parents to bring whatever they have.
“Even though she is now on life-support machine called oxygen, my faith that God will see her through remains very strong and unshakable because nothing is impossible with God. Your prayer is what I need most at this moment, which seems very critical to humans but obviously little or nothing before God.
“Please, ask all angles in heaven to intercede for my beloved daughter, Chisom, for her to live and testify the goodness of the Lord to the glory of His name and greater service to mankind.”
After 17 days, Chisom was looking stable and started interacting with her father, assuring him of total recovery soonest, and prayed to God to provide for him for the hospital bill. Nwizi doubled his efforts, looking for money to clear the bill which amounted to over N3 million.
As Nwizi was looking for money to offset the bill even selling all he had acquired over the years, the worst happened: Chisom passed away. Of course, Nwizi, her father was devastated by her sudden demise.
“One of the most beautiful souls, Nwizi Chisom Prosper, daughter of Nwizi Emmanuel Obashi of the Nigeria Television Authority Abakaliki has gone to be with her Maker and her body shall be committed to Mother Earth soon.
“She was a victim of the October 17, 2024, gas explosion at Good Shepherd Catering School, Oroke Onuoha, Mile 50, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. She died on April 15, 2025, after battling for five months and 29 days, at the Burns Unit, Plastic ward, Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki.
“Her death was quite mysterious because she died when she had almost fully recovered from the burn wounds, leaving the entire family and friends in a very pathetic and traumatized condition. It’s quite a trying moment for my family; wish it never happened or could be reversed but I have submitted to the will of the Almighty, since I have no option.
“The golden diamond of my home has really been stolen by death and the vacuum created shall be very difficult to fill.
“You were such a wonderful special species from God. In service, you were excellent, in wisdom, you were another Solomon in female form, in love and care for humanity, especially for children, you were second to none, in a trying moment, you proved to be a worthy daughter even beyond my expectations.
“You were really the engine room of my house, the real source of my joy and happiness, a resourceful little girl of substance, the golden diamond of my home, always full of hope and encouragement even when all hope seemed lost.
“Goodbye, my Queen Angel, till we meet to part no more. It is quite very difficult for me to say but I have no choice. I wish I could have a better option, but God knows why He allowed a shining Sun to set in the morning like this.
“May the divine mercy of God envelope you to find eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord Almighty. Just know that Daddy will forever love, care and miss you so much. Farewell once again my ever cherished and beloved daughter in whom I am always well pleased,” Nwizi lamented.
He lamented that Chisom was full of joy over her recovery and was disturbing him that she wanted to go home. Then, suddenly she died.
The distraught father further said: “Chisom was always happy that she had recovered. She was always dancing a music in the hospital, which she told me she would dance with her grandmother the day she would go home. I was assuring her that we would go home, let her wait for me to hustle for the hospital bill.
“All of a sudden, fever from nowhere came. You can’t say that it is the burns from the gas explosion that killed Chisom because we had achieved about 95 percent healing of the injuries. She was bearing only a scratch on one of her fingers and it was not even a deep wound, just like a scratch.”
Nwizi further lamented that the N3 million hospital bill which he has not been able to raise stalled Chisom’s burial and solicited assistance to enable him retrieve the body.
“They gave me N3 million bill and it is not something I can just dip my hand into my pocket and pay. I don’t have the money. I need assistance,” he pleaded.