By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was a moment of grief over the weekend in Awka, the capital city of Anambra State, as the burial ceremony of the 17-year-old Frank Anene, who died during the just-concluded 2025 Imo Awka Festival, held amid tears, tributes, and cultural lamentations.
Recall that Frank, a native of Okpaeri Village in Amikwo-Awka and the only surviving son of his family, was killed in a fatal accident on Sunday, May 10, while participating in the age-old festival that celebrates the ancestral heritage and spiritual identity of the Awka people. He was said to be donning a masquerade attire, performing his cultural rites along the ever-busy Ogechukwu Street, off Arthur Eze Avenue, when he was fatally hit by a fast-moving tricycle (popularly called Keke Napep). The impact, witnesses say, crushed his skull and claimed his life instantly.
His burial ceremony, held over the weekend, drew sympathizers from across the town, including students, youth groups, community leaders, and traditional custodians of culture, who came to pay their last respect to deceased in solemnity.
Described as a passionate custodian of Awka cultural heritage, Frank was said to be actively involved in promoting traditional values through the masquerade culture, a special component of the Imo Awka Festival.
Paying a glowing tribute to the deceased in a statement issued shortly after leading Awka youths to the burial ceremony, the Chairman of Awka Youth Council (Okolo N’eche Obodo Awka), Comrade Ikechukwu Philip Ezenwa, lauded him for “his dedication to cultural preservation and his commitment to communal values.”
“Frank, who tragically passed away during routine preparations for the Egwu Imoka Festival, was a shining example of dedication to the rich cultural heritage of Ndu Awka. His passion for preserving our traditions through the revered Awka masquerade will forever inspire us,” Ezenwa wrote.
He extended heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to the success of the burial, and called on Awka youths to continue honouring Frank’s memory by upholding the cultural values he cherished.
Frank’s death reopened painful wounds in his family, as it was gathered that his elder brother had also died earlier this year — making the family now completely bereft of a male child. Left behind are two daughters and grieving parents who now carry the double weight of loss and silence in their home.
“This is a double tragedy. His elder brother died this same year. And now, the only surviving son is gone. The family is devastated,” said a close family source who pleaded anonymity.
