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•Tears, curses as couple goes home
From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
In Ohaozara local parlance in Ebonyi State, where Mr. George and Mrs. Chioma Onuabuchi hailed from, the kind of calamity that befell the young couple could mean that “the night has fallen in the day” for them.
George, 40, from Umunaga, Uburu, and Chioma, 32, from Onicha Igboeze, Onicha Local Government Area, both in Ohaozara Clan, died recently when a mysterious blast occurred in their new duplex in Abakaliki, the state capital.
They gave up the ghost at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, where they were rushed for medical attention. Chioma was the first to die, on August 31, while George followed on September 11.
Their death shook the state and reverberated around the world as their wedding photographs trended on the social media. Their remains were committed to Mother Earth on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at the Osuji Matthew Onu Akuma country home, Umunaga Enuagu, Uburu.
It was a sorrowful and solemn moment, beginning from the wake. Tears flowed like a river. Every inch of the programme was mournful. That day, local minstrels and masters of ceremonies lost their voices as there were no cheerful faces to praise-sing.
Also, there was rain of curses by their families, friends, relatives, well-wishers and sympathizers during their burial.
Chioma’s death actually devastated her family members and their neighbours who mourned her. As they mourned the young lady who was younger sister to music star, Patoranking, her spouse also succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the blast, thereby, leaving everyone more devastated.
The couple had recently celebrated their new building and the birthday of their three-year-old son, King Jaden Onuabuchi, with family members, friends and well-wishers.
They had moved into their new apartment on August 11, this year. But, less than three weeks after, tragedy struck in the new house, leading to their death.
Daily Sun was told that George and Chioma were in their room when the explosion occurred.
Their three-year-old son, King Jaden, was not with them; he was with the grandmother upstairs watching cartoons on his father’s phone.
The explosion damaged almost everything on the ground floor of the building. George sustained severe burns all over his face and body and went into coma immediately, while Chioma got burnt on her face and some parts of her body.
There were conflicting reports on the cause of the explosion. While some claimed it was an inverter battery explosion, others alleged that it was gas explosion. A third theory said it was a dynamite planted by their enemies.
The dynamite theory gained traction on the social media following reports that the couple had recently celebrated the completion of their new mansion, leading to suspicions of foul play.
During their funeral, family members, friends, relatives and well-wishers could not control their emotions. They rained curses on anyone that had a hand in their death. Pallbearers who carried their bodies could not also control their tears.
Innocent Okoroafor, an in-law to George, alleged that his death alongside his wife was not ordinary. He placed curses on anyone responsible for their sudden departure.
“George, you and your wife were not sick; you people were hale and hearty. Your deaths are not ordinary, I, therefore, urge you people to avenge your death. I know very well that enemies of progress were responsible for your death. Go after anyone that has a hand in your death.
“Your killers can’t inherit your property; they can’t do that. Whether they are 10, seven, five in number, all those that killed George and Chioma will not be alive. They will be uncomfortable until they die mysteriously,” he declared.
A friend of the couple, Fidelis Osuji, also placed curses on anyone responsible for the death of the couple
In an interview with Daily Sun, he said: “I knew Chioma when she was in Lagos. She was a hustler, selling garden egg, banana, orange and other fruits. We used to go to Ondo and Ogun states to buy the fruits. After buying the fruits, Chioma would start carrying them around, selling them on the streets.
“Chioma suffered a lot and that time her brother Patoranking was not yet famous, he was not rich as he is today. When he became rich a few years ago, he started helping Chioma and built her. He gave Chioma and the husband N17 million worth of vehicle when they wedded three years ago.
“It is unfortunate that Chioma didn’t enjoy her brother’s money for long. Whoever killed her this way will not escape God’s wrath; her death and that of her husband are very suspicious.”
George’s brother, Pastor Robert Onu, an ace broadcaster, described him as a man with a large heart. His tribute also gave a hint to what may have happened.
“George was very healthy and full of ambition, until the morning of 25th August, 2024. According to him, while he and his family were upstairs in his new duplex, he perceived an unusual but alarming odour that made him to go downstairs to check what that smell was all about and he opened one of the kitchen doors and proceeded to go outside to check further when there was a sudden blast that knocked him down and burned his skin.
“He was rushed to the hospital where he passed away on 11th September, 2024. He was a strong man that left unforgettable legacies.
“George was my younger brother; he was the last in our family. He was known to be loving, kind-hearted, caring, social, hardworking and hospitable, he was an accommodating and honest person who liked to make anyone around him happy.
“George displeased himself to please others. No wonder he was called Uncle George by those who were close to him, especially the younger ones. He was a very busy person who was known for his talent in anything technology and that earned him the name, Engineer George.
“George was training his child to be intellectually, socially and morally good and had started carrying out his great plan for him. He was his son’s playmate,
“George’s death was a painful one that made family members, friends, in-laws and even medical practitioners who attended to him shed tears. It’s still like a dream that Uncle George is no more.”
Pastor Onu, who also paid tributes to his brother’s wife, Chioma, said she was not the lazy type. She did not like to while away her time looking for a white-collar job.
He said: “Chioma was into confectionery business and also specialized in event planning and supply of fashion wear. As a profitable helpmate to her husband, she inspired him into achievements. She was good in whatever she committed herself to and was successful in all her endeavours.
“From a tender age, Chioma always displayed qualities of an entrepreneur. She was a young woman with a large heart, just like her husband. She was known to be jovial, outspoken, kind-hearted, caring, sociable, industrious and ambitious.
“She liked putting smiles on the faces of anyone around her. She was good at making friends and this made her to have friends anywhere she went. She believed so much in gathering people together and giving them treats, even the young ones were not left out.”
Another friend of the late couple, Alfred Nwuruku, said George and Chioma were not just partners in life but a true embodiment of love, unity and selflessness.
He noted that their absence was deeply felt but that they left a legacy of love, compassion and joy in the society.
He prayed to God for strength for their family members, especially their son, as he navigates the heartbreaking loss.
His words: “Today, we mourn the unimaginable loss of Mr. and Mrs. George Onuabuchi, a couple whose lives were tragically cut short. Their passing on August 31 and September 11, 2024, after a devastating incident has left an irreplaceable void in the hearts of family, friends, and all who knew them.
“George and his beloved wife were not just partners in life but a true embodiment of love, unity, and selflessness. They shared a bond so pure and inspiring that it left a lasting impression on everyone around them. Their warmth, kindness, and unwavering faith made them pillars in their spheres of endeavour and a source of strength to their loved ones.
“Their absence is deeply felt, yet we celebrate the legacy they left behind—a legacy of love, compassion and joy. We pray for strength for their family, especially their son, King Jayden Onuabuchi, as he navigates this heartbreaking loss. May God’s grace comfort and uphold him and all who mourn this incredible couple.
“Though their earthly journey has ended, we take solace in the promise of eternal life. May their gentle souls rest in perfect peace, and may their light continue to shine in the hearts of those who loved them. Rest well, dear George and Chioma.”
The burial was attended by people from all walks of life. However, Chioma’s brother, Patoranking, was conspicuously absent as he was said to be outside the country.
George was a graduate of Computer Science while Chioma studied Public Administration.
