'She bin dey peaceful and private we no ever suspect say she be trans'- Adaolisa neighbours reveal more about her life

Neighbours wey dey live for di same compound with Emmanuella Adaolisa say dem never still recover from di shock afta dem discover say she be transwoman.

Na members of Emmanuella church, St. John’s Catholic Church for Rumuolumeni, Iwofe, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, southern Nigeria make di discover say di pesin wey dem know as a female choir member for di parish na transgender woman wey bin dey registered as man wen dem born am.

Mortuary attendants reveal am wen dem wan begin work on di deadibodi wey di catechist and some members of di church bin come deposit as a woman, afta she involve for one fatal accident wen dem discover say na trans woman.

Emmanuella neighbours tell BBC Pidgin say she move into her house for Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt River state, some time for August/September 2022 and she bin live peacefully and well with dem.

"Ada na fine girl with pointed nose. She dey respectful cos as she see you for morning she go first greet you well.

She dey mind her business o but she dey participate for evritin we dey do for compound." Na so Tammy (no be im real name) wey dey live for di apartment opposite Adaolisa tok.

Anoda neighbour Charles add say, "we no ever suspect say she be transwoman. You know no be evri woman dey get big bom-bom or big breast, some women dey wey look like man you know, but she just dey normal I no ever suspect say she na trans-woman.

Evritime she dey do her hair well - braid am or wear wig, she go fix her nails well, do make up. Even without make up sef, she fine well well. Sometimes wen we dey get yard meeting among us tenants, she go wear bum-shorts come out sidon with us and evritin dey well so na big shock for us to discover say she na transwoman. Even as I dey now sef, e hard for me to believe."

E observe say Adaolisa dey very private as she no dey dry her clothes outside, even though she get washing machine wey dey outside for her veranda, she dey dry her clothes for one of di rooms inside di house.

Initially, e say dem bin no mind am but now wey dem don discover say she be transwoman, dem dey wonder why.

'Adaolisa accident happun close to di house'

Di neighbours say di accident wey take Adaolisa life happun along Aker road, just few blocks away from di entrance to dia Easy Vil Street.

"Na one plumber wey bin don come do work for our compound na im come raise di alarm for yard say make we come o, one of our neighbours don get accident." Na so Mbaah (no be im name) anoda neighbour, tell BBC Pidgin.

As dem rush go na so dem see her for ground dey bleed. Her phone don break fall inside di gutter so dem remove di sim card call some numbers wey dey di phone.

"Di first number we call na doctor sometin, I no fit remember di name, we tell am say di woman wey get di phone don get accident o make e come, e say na man wey im know say get di number so maybe na wrong number we call na so e off di phone.

We call two oda pipo and dem too give dis same response say na man dem know say get di number say dem no know any woman like Adaolisa so dem off di phone.

We come remember say she dey go St John's [Catholic Church] na so we go inform dem and na dem, di catechist and oda Church members come carry her go hospital wey dem say she don die.

All of us really shock say she be transwoman cos we bin dey wonder why di first pipo we call say na man dem know, e really dey confusing. " na so Mbaah tok.

She add say di church service never close dat evening before Adaolisa comot as prayers bin still dey go on wen she leave come get di accident wey kill her.

'No family member don come look for her'

Di neighbours say since di incident, none of Adaolisa family members don come look for her for dia compound.

Charles, a neighbour say na only one of her friends, a man, wey use to come visit her na im bin come dey cry for compound about her death and later e go but since dat time, nobody don come di compound to look for her or visit her.

"Nobodi don come dis compound to look for her becos di caretaker sef dey look for her family pipo so dem fit discuss wetin dem go do about di property for di house as she don die.

Di last wey we hear na say her sister come di Catholic Church come ask and later her father also come so di church fit carry am go di mortuary, becos you know say mortuary go only release di corpse to di pesin wey put am dia.

Di caretaker dey try di church to see if e fit reach di family but di time e go, di church catechist and odas Church authority bin no dey; dem tell am to come back later." She tok.

Di neighbours say Adaolisa bin dey wear engagement ring for her finger and say she dey plan her wedding but she say her fiancé no dey based in Nigeria as im dey live abroad.

Di neighbours add say she get many friends wey use to come visit her, some of dem na guys but dem no tink anytin about am. But none of her friend don come di compound since di tori of her death.

Wen BBC Pidgin vist di Church, St John's The Baptist Cathlic Church Rumuolumeni, di Parish officials bin no dey around.