…As 14-year-old star prize winner, catechist, others die in auto crash
The Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos has been thrown into deep mourning as it lost its 2024 ChristTeen star winner, Vincent Mayowa Oduji, alongside Catechist Eric Adesoji and four others who were involved in a road crash which occurred along second Rainbow bus stop, Apapa-Mile 2 area of Lagos on Sunday, October 13, 2024. Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos grieved the death in a statement. The death shocked many, including Rev. Fr. Peter Awobolaji, Parish Priest, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Badagry, where the late Vincent worshipped. According to Fr. Awobolaji, Vincent was a driving force among his peers and a had a largerthan-life personality.
Speaking on behalf the Assistant Parish Priest and the people of the parish, the priest said Vincent’s passing was a sad news for them all. According to him, “It’s really tragic and sudden. Actually, we are trying to pull ourselves together as it is, and our own sadness cannot measure that of his parents. And of course, it’s really saddening for them; they are still trying to fathom the news and the shock. “So really for us, it’s saddening, and we still don’t know what to say on what our feelings are right now. That’s where we are for now.
Sharing his views on the lifestyle and role the late Vincent played in the Church, Fr. Awobolaji said, “Vincent was a good boy and very, very active in the Church. He was involved in some societies and associations. He was a lector, part of MCA and joined altar servers as friend, anyway. Apart from that, he’s involved with the junior choir. He’s almost everywhere in the Church. We know him. Even the Friday before that tragic Sunday, he read at Mass in the morning. So, he’s very active. Devastated Sr. Judith Madueke, Director of Catechesis/Religious Education Department, Lagos Archdiocese was in shock as she lamented, “I’m just not coordinated at all.
Aside Vincent, we just discovered one of the catechists that was involved in the accident yesterday (Tuesday). We didn’t know his whereabouts since Sunday! We were looking for him. We went on a search party and later discovered that he was also in the accident in another vehicle, and he was taken to one nonsense private hospital. They did nothing. They just left the man there since Sunday. So, he died this morning (Wednesday). Sr. Judith disclosed that the late Catechist Eric Adesoji was a parishioner of St. Charles Catholic Church, Olodi Apapa.
Catechist Clement Ayodeji, President, Lagos Archdiocesan Guild of Catechists (LAGC) speaking on the sad incident said, “Everybody is in a state of shock at present. We are all short of words. Vincent’s own first happened as a shock, and now, Catechist Eric Adesoji, Assistant Secretary, LAGC and Apapa Deanery Cordinator, who we were searching for him that Sunday, fortunately, yesterday (Tuesday), we heard he was in a hospital, thinking that he will survive, but early this morning (Wednesday), we received a call that he gave up the ghost.
An eyewitness, who asked to remain anonymous, described the accident which occurred around 4 pm, as a result of a trailer losing controls owing to brake failure and colliding with a car and a commercial bus.
