By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The funeral rites of the Late Chief Sylvester Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu (Akpunwa Nnewi ) whose death occured November 1, 2018 have commenced.
Debe was the first son of the late Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Eze Igbo Gburugburu.
Late Sylvester Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu, during his lifetime was an ex- policeman, a Lagos based legal practitioner and businessman, who graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu campus in 1985.
The funeral rites according to a statement by his family, will commence on Monday (today) with a Service of Songs at the Catholic Church of Assumption, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos at 6.30 pm.
On Tuesday March 5, 2019 , there will be a Requiem Mass also at the same venue at 10.00 am while on Thursday March 14, a Vigil Mass will hold at 5.00 pm at his ancestral home, Obi Uno village, Umudim, Nnewi.
There will be a Funeral Mass at Saint John Catholic Church, Akammili , Nnewi North LGA, Anambra State on Friday March 15, followed by interment at his residence in Eze Ubom village, Umudim same day.
On Saturday March 16, there will be condolence visits at his residence as well as Thanksgiving Service on Sunday at Saint John Catholic Church, Akammili.
Late Debe is survived by a wife, Mrs Vicky Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu, who is also a Lagos-based lawyer and four children.
It would be recalled that on November 3, 2018, Vanguard newspaper reported the passing on of Chief Sylvester Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu at the age of 62. He was reported to have slumped and died in a private hospital in Lagos.
When contacted then on telephone, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, widow to late Ikemba Nnewi said she was not in the position to confirm the death of Debe, adding that Nnewi has tradition of confirming/ announcing death of such a person.