Dr Emeka Ogah, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), has confirmed the death of one its consultants, Dr Canice Ebirim on Tuesday during the Super Eagles and Argentina match.
Ogah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that reports reaching him suggested that Ebirim died within the period of the match.
The CMD said that he received the news of his death at about 9 p.m. while the match was ongoing.
Ogah said that a friend of the deceased informed him that Ebirim started behaving funny within that period.
“Ebirim’s friend said that the deceased started moving suspiciously and solicited for assistance which made him intervene and took him (Ebirim) to the hospital.
“Efforts made to revive him at our hospital proved abortive as he died but we would liaise with his family to conduct an autopsy.
“We are surprised at his death because he consulted at the hospital on Tuesdays. We have to wait till autopsy is conducted to draw further conclusions,” he said.
A friend of the deceased, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that he (Ebirim) resided in Owerri with his family and only visited FETHA during his clinic days.
“He was a dedicated and lively fellow who will surely be missed by his family, friends and associates,” he said.