- Urges SA govt to use case to cement brotherhood with Nigeria
David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has petitioned the South African High Commission in Nigeria, over the murder of Mrs. Obianuju Ndubuisi-Chukwu, Deputy Director-General of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) who was murdered in Johannesburg last month.
Mrs. Ndubuisi-Chukwu was said to have been murdered at Emperor Palace Hotel and Conference Centre, Johannesburg, while attending a meeting of the African Insurance Organisation.
Obiano had earlier written the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, urging him to wade into the killing as the South African Government may capitalise on the absence of a High Commissioner for Nigeria in the country to treat the murder with levity. Obiano wrote, “The fact that Mrs. Ndubuisi-Chukwu was a representative of the Nigerian nation in an international conference gives so much gravitas to the case.
“It needs to be tackled urgently at the highest level which I sincerely believe you can duly facilitate. I cannot keep quiet when the life of a distinguished Anambra State person is wasted brutally. We must get to the roots, no matter the cost.”
Obiano spoke further saying, “The issue has attracted so much publicity in the world media, and I feel compelled to call on you to use your good offices to do the right thing by getting the South African police authorities to wade into the killing.
“Though Nigeria has yet to appoint a substantive Foreign Minister, bilateral relations between our two countries ought to ensure that case is not treated with levity as it now appears to be.
“The loss of a highly talented professional such as Mrs. Ndubuisi-Chukwu challenges us all to call on the reserves of our cherished African brotherhood to make sure that justice is done.”
Obiano said the job had been half done, now that the South African Department of Home Affairs had stated that autopsy revealed she was strangled.
He urged the High Commissioner to use his good offices to ensure that the killers of the top chartered insurance guru paid for it, adding that this would further cement the brotherhood between Nigeria and South Africa.
“We are so disheartened that it has taken about a month after the killing of the lady, and not much progress has been recorded in tracing the killer(s).
“The obviously orchestrated cover-up by not releasing the CCTV footage in time clearly points to a deadly collaboration on the portals of evil. It is my bounden duty to stress the necessity of delving into the crime with the seriousness it deserves to win justice.
“There is a solid pedestal to start from now that the South African Department of Home Affairs has in an autopsy report stated quite pointedly that Mrs. Ndubuisi-Chukwu was strangulated.
“Autopsy report by the Department of Health released on June 27, 2019, confirms that she was strangulated. Who did it? The question must be answered since the first duty of the state everywhere is the security of life.”
