Celebrating Super Eagles Amid Death of Cairo Ojougboh, Others

Adedayo Akinwale writes that the former Executive Director of Finance at the Niger Delta Development Commission and  chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Hon Cairo Ojougboh, was one of the casualties recorded in the wake of the semi-final match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the just concluded African Cup of Nations tournament in Cote D’Ivoire.

While Nigerians were still basking in the euphoria of the Super Eagles triumph over the Bafana-Bafana of South Africa last week, news filtered in that a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC),  Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, died while watching the tension soaked match.

Unfortunately, Ojougboh was not the only tragedy recorded in the match as a few other Nigerians lost their lives while watching the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi final game.

For instance, the Deputy Bursar of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete; a corps member in Adamawa State, all lost their lives in similar circumstances in the tension-soaked match Nigeria won by 4 goals to 2 on penalties.

Also, Nigerian Businessman, Chief Osondu Nwoye, who passed on while watching Nigeria versus South Africa’s game,  was the CEO of Groupe Auto Promotion. He collapsed after a goal was cancelled.

Additionally, a 43-year-old Mikail Osundiji, died while watching the semi-final football match in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Checks revealed that Osundiji went into shock and died while watching the match at a public football viewing centre in Olomoore area of Abeokuta.

The father of two reportedly died when the referee cancelled Nigeria’s second goal against South Africa, by Victor Osimhen.

Relatives said the deceased did not show any sign of sickness prior to his death.

An elder sister to the deceased, Mrs. Adetunji Nofisat, explained that Osundiji suddenly breathed out heavily after the cancellation of Nigeria’s second goal, lowered his head and consequently fell to the ground at the football viewing center.

“That was when other people at the football viewing center rushed to him and took him to one of the private hospitals in Olomoore before the doctor on duty pronounced him dead”, the deceased’s sister said.

Nofisat however, disclosed that the remains of the deceased had been buried last Thursday afternoon according to the Islamic rites.

“We cannot take his corpse to his hometown, Okuku in Osun State because he still has a father, mother and two children who are of 12 and seven years of age”, she said.

Also, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Adamawa State identified as Peter Yunana last Wednesday night slumped and died while watching Nigeria’s Super Eagles clash with South Africa.

The corps member allegedly passed away just before the final kick which secured Nigeria’s win in the match

A witness recounted the event on a social media post saying, “We lost one Nigerian during our victory celebration over South Africa at our sports viewing centre here in Numan.

“The corps member who is serving in Numan from Kaduna State fainted before the kick of the winning goal. He died before they could reach the hospital in Numan. May his soul rest in peace.”

The NYSC Coordinator in the state, Mr. Jingi Dennis, confirmed the tragic incident. He said the deceased was rushed to General Hospital in Numan by his colleagues but he could not be revived.

He said, “l received the news of his death last night, I hope to have more details today. According to his colleagues who went with him to watch the match, the late corps member told them that he doesn’t like watching penalty shootout, he then bowed his head and all of a sudden he collapsed.

Ojougboh represented Ika Federal Constituency in Delta state at the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007 and also served as a former Executive Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Expressing his shock, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, described the sudden death of the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Executive Director of Projects in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Cairo Ojougboh, as a huge loss to the people of the Niger Delta Region and the entire country.

Akpabio recalled the contributions of the Agbor-born politician to the development of the Niger Delta Region, when he occupied the office of the Executive Director Projects in the NDDC, while he suprintended over the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio said: “the late Ojougboh as a member of the House of Representatives, contributed in no small way, his quota to the development of his people as their representative from 2003 -2007. He was the true voice of the people of Agbor, who ensured they were seen and heard in the national scheme of things.

“On behalf of my family, the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial and the Senate, I commiserate with the Ojougboh family of Agbor, the government and people of Delta State, on this painful demise of a notable and committed son of Agbor. I pray to God to grant his wife, children and those he left behind the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.”

Also, former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, has described Ojougboh, as a committed grassroots leader “who lent a helping hand to everyone around him during his lifetime.”

He  said, “I am devastated by the news of the death of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, a very outspoken and courageous personality who served his community, Delta state and Nigeria well in different capacities during his lifetime.”

Following the tragedies recorded, medical experts in the country have warned hypertensive patients against participating in activities that cause excitement or put much pressure on the heart.

Speaking on the possibilities of what could have happened to those who died while watching the football match between Nigeria and South Africa, a consultant cardiologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, Dr. Salau Ibrahim, said the sudden collapse could be as a result of stroke, sudden heart attack or stress induced heart problem.

The cardiologist noted that age matters a lot and for people who are older and have other problems like heart or kidney issues, saying they need to be very careful about things that stress the organs, especially the heart.

He cautioned against anxiety or stress, explaining that anxiety is a form of emotional stress.” Salau noted that the major causes of such sudden deaths  are stroke or heart attack.

According to him: “Like the two incidents that happened on Wednesday, it could be that they had heart attack or abnormal heart reading. it’s possible they are hypertensive, diabetic and have not been checking themselves.

“So, it’s either they had heart attack or they had cardiac arrhythmia, which can predispose someone to having cardiac arrest. Everything still falls under cardiac arrest.

“Those are the major things. Regular check and lifestyle modification is very important. If you have any background comorbidity like hypertension or diabetes, ensure you take your medications regularly.

 “You can watch football even if you are hypertensive but you need to be sure that your blood pressure is well regulated, and taking your medication adequately. Being hypertensive is not a  contradiction to watching football but you need to know the status of your heart before you watch that kind of very intense game. Avoid watching football among the crowd that can put pressure on you,” he advised.

On his part, a consultant cardiologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Ramon Moronkola, has linked the possible causes of deaths during the football match to stroke as a result of cardiac arrest and heart or brain issue.

Moronkola pointed out that when there is emotional surge, which is a sudden increase of an emotion, many things could go wrong.

His words: “Your adrenaline is pumping and your blood pressure could go up immediately. For someone that has underlying cardiovascular disease that is not well managed, that person could suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest,  which could lead to death.

“For example, if the person has myocardial ischemic heart disease, which occurs when blood flow to your heart is reduced, preventing the heart muscle from receiving enough oxygen, that emotional surge could make that person develop heart attack which could lead to sudden death,” he explained.

The physician also identified another possibility as having heart failure that is not properly managed, adding that when such a person is experiencing emotional surge due to the match, that could lead to sudden death as well.

He said emotional surge could also lead to abnormal heart beat, which can also lead to sudden death. “In essence, for those with underlying diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol around the heart area, cardiac arrest is inevitable due to emotional surge as a result of the match,” Moronkola further said.