The family of Allwell Orji, doctor who jumped off 3rd mainland bridge,
have told Nigerians to respect their grief, adding that they believe
their son is still alive.
A man residents described as a father figure to Dr. Allwell Orji, said;
"Please
respect our grief. This is a difficult time for us and we don’t want to
make comments on this issue. It is not something to be celebrated. We
are believing that he’s still alive. God still does miracles.
You
people don’t know what we have been through since yesterday. Please,
respect our grief. This is not a case of a grandfather that died and we
want to celebrate it. This whole issue has been difficult for us.
The
mother is up there, not talking to anyone. Not even us who are very
close relatives. People have been around her since yesterday so that she
doesn’t do anything drastic.
She has yet to accept that he could be
dead. She doesn’t even accept people’s sympathies and condolences. As a
Christian, she’s believing God that a miracle could happen and that her
son won’t die. She believes he’s just missing and would return alive.
We
can’t allow you in. We won’t also comment on it. Not today, not any
day. We are not interested in talking about this issue. But I can tell
you he’s not the person in the picture they have been circulating
online. That’s not my doctor.
So many falsehoods have been
circulated online in respect to this matter. We are not too pleased
about it, but we won’t be pushed to comment.”
At the Mt. Sinai
Hospital, Olanibi Street, Papa Ajao, Mushin, were Orji worked, it was
gathered that the doctor was on duty Friday night.
The hospital
denied insinuations he might have been fired from his place of work to
warrant committing suicide, insisting that he was a good doctor.
Orji,
in his mid -30s, lived with his widowed mother, Mrs. Chinyere Orji, a
retired banker at her 3, Odunukan Street, off Abule Ijesha, Yaba,
residence.
The medical doctor was the first of the woman’s three children, and was unmarried.
At
the two-storey building said to belong to the woman, journalists were
denied access, with relatives appealing that their moment of grief be
respected.
Family, church members, friends and colleagues of the
doctor were said to be comforting his distraught mother, who it was
gathered, has refused to accept he might be dead.