It was another festival of tears and lamentation in the Garden City of Port Harcourt on Friday as remains of Lloyd Toku Mike, one of the four University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) students, who was lynched in Aluu clan was committed to mother earth.
The remains of the deceased was interred in Port Harcourt City cemetery, opposite Free-Town Street, off Aggrey Road Rivers State.
Until his painful demise on October 5, 2012, the late Lloyd was a 200 level Engineering student of UNIPORT and first son of his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Toku Mike. His dad is an Assistant Director of Programmes, Rivers State Broadcasting Service.
Bereaved friends and family members mourned uncontrollably when the casket bearing Lloyd’s remains arrived their residence at No. 29 Captain Amangala Street, Town,Port Harcourt.
On sighting the vehicle bearing the corpse, a Ford Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) with a Lagos registration number, BDG 485 AS, the tear-soaked mother muttered, “My baby is here,” touching the ambulance bearing the body of her beloved son.
In his sermon, pastor Promise Jeremiah of Salvation Ministries reminded sympathizers not to forget that one day people would also gather to mourn them like Lloyd. He called on them to repent in other to be found in the lamb’s book of life.
The cleric who read from Luke 16:22-30, said in life, people must belong to, either, Lazarus’ camp or beggar’s camp, heaven or devil’s camp. The emotion-laden father, Mr. Toku Mike, while lamenting that his son promised to come home the very day he was brutally killed said Lloyd occupies a special place in his heart.
Tearfully he said: “Lloyd, you called and wished me happy birthday on Thursday, October 4, 2012. You promised you would come home on Friday, October 5, 2012 after lectures but you never did. Little did I know that your birthday wish was your goodbye to me, your mother, and your younger brother. Continuing, Toku mourned: “Lloyd, why, why and why did you abandon us the way and manner you did? Lloyd, we loved you so very much. Word alone can’t explain how much love we had and still have for you even in death.” He further lamented that money and tears are not enough to bring him back to life if not they would not have stopped crying, and would have also gone extra-mile to borrow money in other to bring him back to life and to complete his education.
However, mourners who were present during the interment blamed president Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi for not sending representatives to the burial ceremony.
While calling on relevant security agencies to bring the killers to book, they also warned them to guard against future reoccurrence.
Meanwhile, the students’ union leaders of UNIPORT also blamed the authorities of University of Port Harcourt for not ensuring that the murdered students get justice.
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