Jr Pope: Family of late sound engineer, Precious, have refused to exhume his body from the river bank for proper burial despite collecting money from Nigerians

Movie Producer, Stanely Ontop says the family of sound engineer, Precious, who died in the boat mishap that claimed the lives of actor Jnr Pope and three others, has refused to exhume his body despite receiving financial assistance from Nigerians to facilitate his exhumation and transportation of his body to Rivers state for proper burial.

Precious’s body was buried at the bank of the river after it was found days after the boat mishap. Reports have it that the villagers insisted that his body be buried at the bank of river since he drowned and that it can only be taken away after some sacrifices have been carried out.

Last week, Stanley released a video of late Precious’s mum pleading with the Rivers state government to help bring her son’s body to the state for proper burial. She made the appeal after the Akwa Ibom state government facilitated the exhumation and return of makeup artiste, Frederick Abigails’ body to her family house for proper burial.  Read here.

In a video he shared today, April 23, Stanley said the family of late Precious were supposed to have exhumed his body today but that they have reneged claiming it is against their tradition to bury anyone that drowned in their village. A visibly disappointed Stanley said the family reneged on their plan to exhume the deceased after receiving over “N11.2 million” from well-meaning Nigerians who harkened to his parent’s plea to help in bringing his body home for bury.

‘’This family was supposed to be in Asaba today to come and exhume the body of Precious. Since morning, I have not heard anything from them. Somebody close to the family called me and said let me tell you the truth, this family is not ready to come and collect the corpse from the Riverside. The only corpse remaining in that riverside is only that of Precious. I have raised N1.2 million for this family to come and exhume his body and take it back to Rivers state. A senior pastor gave them N10 million to also support. The Rivers state government also said go and exhume your son and then give us the estimate. Now the father doesn’t want to come and exhume his son, saying he is a traditionalist. He said he doesn’t want to come and carry the corpse but he came online to cry to Nigerians to help raise funds for him”

He also shared a purported audio recording from the twin sister of the late Precious where she could be heard asking if he was trying to force them to do something that is against their tradition. 

‘’We cannot do against our tradition, The only thing we will do is for us to find way to call the spirit out. We cannot do against our tradition. Are you trying to destroy our family by making us to uproot someone that water has taken.”

Watch the video Stanley shared below