The remains of talented Nollywood makeup artist, Ms. Abigail Frederick, who tragically lost her life in a boat accident that also claimed the life of Nollywood star actor, Junior Pope has now been reburied in Akwa Ibom State.
The burial ceremony which was sponsored by Akwa Ibom state government took place on Monday, 15th of April.
The unfortunate tragedy happened on Wednesday of last week while the actors and others were traveling back from a filming location on the Anam River in Anambra State.
According to Gistreel, Abigail’s parents were forced to pay the locals a set sum of money in order to fulfill customs and cover the expense of returning her body home for burial, therefore Abigail was first buried by the side of the river.
Her body was to be dug up from the riverbank and buried properly, but Umo Eno, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, who had expressed his sympathies to the family, ordered its exhumation.
The government ordered her body to be removed and transported to her native state for a dignified burial, claiming ignorance of the issue.
Speaking on behalf of his employer over the weekend, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Eno, Ekerete Udoh, stated: “Ms. Abigael Edith Frederick, one of the accident victims, was a perfect example of our young people who have heardken to our clarion call for them to ‘Arise and Shine.'” She was a 24 year old Theatre Arts graduate who had discovered her calling in makeup artistry.
“We are extremely grieved by her tragic demise, and we offer our condolences to her family, the Nollywood community, and her friends and colleagues on behalf of the Government and people of Akwa Ibom State for this sad loss.
We also want to make it clear that the government was not made aware of the circumstances surrounding her burial. We have read and seen the reports surrounding her funeral, particularly those posted on social media.
As a result, Governor Umo Eno has ordered that her remains be returned to her family so that they may be buried honorably. The grieving family won’t “walk alone,” as the iconic Liverpool Football Club theme song puts it.