By Tim Binnall
In a wild story out of Nigeria, a man was declared dead and set to be buried, when he suddenly came back to life two days later, crawled out of his casket, and recounted a vivid near-death experience wherein he visited Heaven. According to a local media report, the amazing story began on September 5th when Godwin Ugeelu Amadu sought medical treatment for severe chest pain. While visiting the doctor, his condition worsened to the point that he apparently appeared to have passed away and he was subsequently declared dead. Fortunately for the man, he had given his children strict instructions regarding his burial, which ultimately may have ironically saved his life.
Amadu insisted to his family that he not be embalmed and that he should be buried two or three days following his death. The man's children dutifully followed his instructions and set about having his grave ready for services on September 7th. As Amadu had served as a doctor for the village where he lived, his son Jacob explained, "sympathizers around the community were crying while others assembled in different locations discussing the sad event of his passing." After mourners paid their respects at his open casket, it was brought into a nearby building to prepare the box for burial, which is when the man's tale took a shocking turn.
"We suddenly saw the casket shaking and eventually fell and my father woke up to the surprise of many people in the village," Jacob recalled. The sight of Amadu inexplicably alive again understandably shook the mourners, his son observed, "a lot of the men and women who had gathered ran away, believing that it was his ghost." Jacob tentatively approached his father and soon realized that he was still alive, albeit shaken by whatever he had experienced and, as such, he initially remained silent. It was not until a few days later that Amadu recounted what had occurred and his account is truly breathtaking.
Amadu indicated that at the moment of his perceived death, his chest pain suddenly stopped and he felt a profound peacefulness come over him. "The clouds opened up and I saw something like a giant golden satellite suspended in space," he said, "there I was greeted by a 75-foot-tall angel who stood in front of the gate." Alongside this entity were two similar companions, who convened with each other and "later allowed me into the city of Heaven." Amadu claims, upon entry, he was greeted by "a childhood friend who died 22 years ago" and provided him with a proverbial tour of the ethereal realm, where the new arrival encountered other departed loved ones and even some of his ex-girlfriends.
Similar to many who have had near-death experiences, Amadu said that he also had something of a 'life review,' showing him "all the events leading to my death." His visit to the 'other side' was brief, however, as soon "Christ appeared and raised me up from death," whereupon the man felt the sensation of waking up and being extremely cold. "Heaven is indeed an interesting place," Amadu mused, expressing mixed emotions about having to leave the awe-inspiring 'other side,' where, he said, free food is in abundance and the denizens "are all there enjoying life to the fullest." As one might imagine, the man's story has made him something of a sensation in his village, where he has given up work as a doctor in order to devote "the rest of my life on earth to the service of God."