Nkambe, Donga-Mantung

Man dies, resurrects then dies again 
By a correspondent in Nkambe
The corpse of a man who died recently at the Banso Baptist Hospital has been abandoned at the Mortuary. The family members say they would not take the body because the man had already died several years ago and was long buried.
    Tantoh, as the man was called, died the second time only three weeks ago, after a brief illness. When his death was announced to his family members they expressed shock and disbelief, revealing that he had died long ago and had since been buried in his village, Saah.
    When members of Tantoh’s family expressed doubt about the story of his second death, they were led to the Nkambe Hospital Mortuary and made to see the corpse. And they immediately recognized it as the body of their late brother. But the family members were at the same time visibly confused because Tantoh was already dead and buried.

    Tantoh’s family members refused to take the body; they said the same person cannot be buried twice. They have therefore abandoned the corpse at the Nkambe Mortuary.  
    According to what we gathered, three years ago Tantoh came to Bongom village where he was living with a concubine. He made two kids with the lady. But three weeks ago, Tantoh died at the Banso Baptist Hospital after a brief illness and emissaries were sent to deliver the message of his death to his family in Saah village. 
    At his village, the emmissaries were taken aback when they were told that the person they were referring to had died long ago and had since been buried. When Tantoh’s picture was presented to them, they acknowledged it and said he was the person they were talking about. A delegation was later sent to the Nkambe mortuary to confirm the story. At the mortuary the family members recognized and confirmed the body as Tantoh’s. 
    The family members said at the time of his death Tantoh was a sub-chief in his village. They said it beats their imagination that some body who died long ago could resurrect and live another life just 50 kilometers away.
    When Tantoh’s concubine was quizzed whether she and Tantoh had ever visited Tantoh’s village, she said that Tantoh told her that he had some problems with some members of his family and decided to keep away from them. Tantoh however, told the lady that he was from Saah village.  
       As we went to press yesterday, we learnt that the Nkambe administration has given Tantoh’s family up to a week to collect the corpse or the council will be obliged to bury it.