A Nigerian Student Dies During Reenactment of Jesus’ Crucifixion

On Good Friday, a Nigerian student died during a reenactment of Jesus’ crucifixion.

During a Passion Play performance, a dramatic portrayal of Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection, the incident occurred at the Claratian Institute of Philosophy in Owerri, a coastal city in southeastern Nigeria.

According to a classmate, Sule Ambrose, 25, was cast as Saint Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples. Ambrose unexpectedly collapsed and began bleeding during the performance while portraying a Gospels scenario in which Peter cuts off a servant’s ear, which Jesus afterward heals.

Punch newspaper reported that eyewitnesses saw Ambrose’s collapse but assumed it was “part of the drama.”

Eventually, the play was halted when the actor failed to get up after several minutes when he began bleeding. Cast members and audience members took Ambrose to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Father Chukwuemeka Iheme of the Claratian Institute confirmed Ambrose’s identity and death.

Ambrose was training to become a priest of the Catholic Church while studying at the Claratian Institute.