In 2001, Nigerian pastor Daniel Ekechukwu was involved in a fatal car accident. He was rushed to St Charles Borromeo Hospital in Onitsha, where he was later pronounced dead. Ekechukwu's wife, Nneka, arranged for an ambulance to transfer him to a hospital in Owerri, but he died on the journey. A death certificate was issued at 11:30 p.m. on November 30, and his body was taken to a mortuary.
Before his death, Ekechukwu had an argument with his wife, Nneka, on November 29. The disagreement ended with Nneka slapping him. Ekechukwu remained angry and drove away in his Mercedes-Benz 230E. The car crashed into a concrete pillar, causing severe injuries, including violent vomiting of blood and difficulty breathing. Passers-by pulled him from the wreckage and rushed him to the hospital.
At the mortuary, Ekechukwu's body was prepared for burial with embalming chemicals by mortician Darlington Manu. However, Manu reportedly experienced a physical shock and was pushed away from the body while attempting to make an incision. He heard what sounded like worship songs coming from inside the building and noticed a light coming from Ekechukwu's face, which frightened him.
Nneka had a dream in which she saw her husband's face and heard him telling her that he was not dead and that she should take him to Onitsha, where renowned German evangelist Reinhard Bonnke was preaching. Despite her family's skepticism, Nneka insisted on taking her husband's body to the church. The family eventually bought a coffin, dressed Ekechukwu for burial, and placed his body inside.
On Sunday, December 2, 2001, the coffin was taken to Grace of God Mission in Onitsha, where Bonnke was preaching. Security officers initially refused to let the coffin onto the church grounds, suspecting it could contain explosives. Nneka opened the coffin to show the security men that it was her husband's corpse, and eventually, church leaders allowed the body to be taken downstairs.
Downstairs, people gathered around Ekechukwu's body and began praying. According to eyewitness accounts, the corpse twitched, and irregular breathing followed. Those around him continued praying and began massaging his stiff neck, arms, and legs. Ekechukwu's revival became one of Nigeria's strangest religious stories.
Ekechukwu and his wife later recounted their experiences in a documentary by Bonnke's ministry – Christ for All Nations. The incident has been documented by Christian writer David Servant, who interviewed people connected to the incident. Ekechukwu's story has raised questions about the supernatural and the power of prayer.
Key points
- Nigerian pastor Daniel Ekechukwu was pronounced dead after a car crash in 2001, only to be revived hours later when his coffin was taken to a church in Onitsha.
