A student in Nigeria died on Good Friday during an attempt to reenact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The incident occurred during a performance of a Passion Play, a dramatic reenactment of Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection — commonly performed in public during Easter. The play was being performed at the Claratian Institute of Philosophy, located in Owerri, a coastal city in southeastern Nigeria, 320 miles from Lagos.
The victim, Sule Ambrose, 25, was cast in the play as Saint Peter, one of Jesus’s disciples. During the performance, Ambrose unexpectedly collapsed and began bleeding. A fellow classmate of Ambrose, named Mavis, claimed that Ambrose collapsed while depicting a Gospels scene in which Peter cuts off a servant’s ear, which is then healed by Jesus. Ambrose was a student at the Claratian Institute, training to become a priest in the Catholic Church.
According to eyewitnesses, as reported by the Punch newspaper, Ambrose’s collapse was thought to be “part of the drama” and ignored as the play carried on. When he did not get up after several minutes and began bleeding, the play was halted. He was carried by cast and audience members to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
A representative of the Claratian Institute, Father Chukwuemeka Iheme, later confirmed Ambrose’s identity and death but would not comment on the incident further. All Easter activities at the Institute were suspended thereafter. The cause of death has not yet been released.