A group of women from Otukpuru community in Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State on Friday, May 1st,2026, gathered by the roadside to hold prayers over what they described as the constant death of youths in the area.
Dressed in black attire, the women sang dirges and offered intercessory prayers, calling for divine intervention to stop what they called a disturbing pattern of untimely deaths among young people in the community. Eyewitnesses said the gathering, which took place along a major road in Otukpuru, drew attention from passersby and residents.
The women, mostly mothers and elderly members of the community, said the frequency of youth deaths in recent months had become alarming.
Though no official figures were immediately available, community sources said several young men and women had died under varying circumstances since the beginning of the year.
One of the women, who declined to give her name, said: “We cannot continue to bury our children. Every other week there is one death or another. We are mothers. Our hearts are bleeding. We have come out to cry to God to have mercy on Otukpuru land.”
Calls for Intervention
Some residents who witnessed the prayer session called on the state government and health authorities to investigate the situation. They also appealed to traditional rulers and religious leaders to intervene spiritually and administratively.
A youth leader in the area, who asked not to be named, said: “Our mothers are in pain. Beyond prayers, we need the government to send health officials to look into what is happening. If it is a health issue, let them tell us. If it is something else, we need to know.”
