A secondary school principal, Mr. Hassan Alabi of Asude, Oke Lele community in the Ilorin West Local Government, Kwara State, died in the early hours of yesterday while observing Ramadan prayer to herald Thursday's fasting.

It was gathered that the incident happened while the deceased, said to be in his sixties, was prostrating (rukuu) during the prayer and remained permanently in that position, causing pandemonium among the congregation.

Speaking with journalists on the incident, some members of the congregation said they were expecting the man to stand up from his position, but were surprised when he could not get up again.

They said the confusion over Alabi's death brought the prayer to an abrupt end.

Some elders in the community, who later took the man's body to his house, expressed the hope that he would regain consciousness before dawn, thinking the incident was due to exhaustion.

However, the deceased was later buried according to Islamic rites when it dawned on them that he had died.

During the sermon at the burial, the Imam of the mosque, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oriire, enjoined people to always be conscious of their deeds.

According to him, no one knows when or where death will occur.