Seminarian slumps, dies while acting 'Peter' in 'Passion of Christ' drama

The incident happened on Friday, April 15, 2022, when the deceased was enacting the character of biblical St. Peter in the drama.

The drama is staged by Christians during Easter to illustrate the sufferings and eventual crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

According to Pulse.ng, the entire community of the Claretian University of Nigeria, Nekede, in Owerri, Imo State, was thrown into a state of tragedy following the death of the young man.

The deceased has been identified as Suel Ambrose, a first-year student of Philosophy at the institution, the news website reports.

The Benue State indigene, according to some students at the university who witnessed the event, died on the spot after slumping.

"He was playing the role of the biblical Peter in the dream and that process when Peter cut the ear of one of the soldiers and Jesus fixed the ear and ask Peter to let them do their wish. You know how passionate the play is.

"So, when the soldiers chase the disciples to drive them away from Jesus, the young man fell on the floor and started bleeding. We took him to our school hospital and the doctors did their best but he was not responding to treatment. We took him to the Federal Medical Center in Owerri where he was pronounced dead.

"The drama was in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in respect to the Easter celebration. He was born in 1997. He is a year one student and had the dream of becoming a priest in the Catholic church," one Mavis is quoted as having said in an interview with Punch.

The news outlet further reports the priest in charge of Student Formation in the university, Fr. Chukwuemeka Iheme, as saying that "the institution would brief the public after the authorities give us permission to do so."