Elizabeth Ndubisi-Chukwu, deputy
director-general of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), bid her
colleagues goodnight and went to bed after the closing dinner of the conference
of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO) in Johannesburg, South Africa, on
Wednesday, June 12.
On Thursday morning when she was
scheduled to travel back to Nigeria, Ndubuisi-Chukwu neither showed up for
breakfast nor was she seen at the airport prior to departure. Her colleagues
were said to have rushed down to the Emperor Palace Hotel where they lodged- a
10-minute drive from the O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg. Her
phone rang but she didn’t answer the call. Hence, the door was forced open and
she was found dead.
While Ndubuisi-Chukwu was
initially believed to have died in her sleep overnight, an autopsy report from
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs revealed the unexpected. The death
certificate issued said the 53-year-old mother died of “unnatural causes
consistent with strangulation”.
 |
| The death certificate |
The South African police service
were said to have taken up the case, while the hotel was alleged to have
prevented the police from having access to its CCTV cameras and other evidence
that may help investigations.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, executive
chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), said CCTV footage showed
no one entered the deceased’s room despite the autopsy report that her death
was unnatural.
 |
| Result of the autopsy |
“Update on Ndubisi. Our CG in SA
along with the deceased’s brother are on the sad incident. Cctv showed no one
entered the room. Autopsy showed she died of unnatural cause. An officer from
the HC detailed on the case, working with SA police. Will keep you updated,”
Dabiri-Erewa tweeted.
Update on Ndubuisi. Our CG in SA along with the deceased’s brother are on the sad incident.Cctv showed no one entered the room. Autopsy showed she died of unnatural https://t.co/44cN12q1Em officer from the HC detailed on the case, working with SA police. Will keep you updated https://t.co/TPNyn6ypgc— Abike Dabiri-Erewa (@abikedabiri) July 5, 2019
However, a few hours after
Dabiri-Erewa’s post, Emperor Palace Hotel posted a tweet, saying the South
African police had not requested the required footage.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out
to family and friends. Emperors Palace management is deeply saddened by this
incident. The matter is currently being handled by the SA Police Service,” the
hotel said.
 |
Ndubisi-Chukwu with her two sons
and other family members in Nigeria
|
“Emperors Palace is fully cooperating with the SAPS and has given permission to view any required footage – however, as of yet, SAPS has not requested it.”
There's ths hotel in South Africa @EmperorsPalace where guests cn be killd & they go into practised stonewalling. Our sister, Uju Ndubuisi, was killed there on or about 13 June. They've said nothing. Pls spread the word abt this deadly destination & ask them #WhoKilledUjuNdubuisi— Chidi Odinkalu (@ChidiOdinkalu) July 5, 2019
Emperors Palace is fully cooperating with the SAPS and has given permission to view any required footage – however, as of yet, SAPS has not requested it.— Emperors Palace (@EmperorsPalace) July 5, 2019
Chidi Odinkalu, human rights
lawyer, expressed displeasure over the case, wondering why no action had been
taken 25 days after the incident.
In series of posts on Twitter, he
said Ndubuisi-Chukwu’s killers denied her teenage son of a loving mother.
So, @abikedabiri, there u go: 25 days after our sister, Uju Ndubuisi was killed by strangulation in her hotel room inside @EmperorsPalace, SAPS hasn't asked for footage. Is that normal? & from where did u get ur info as to what CCTV showed, ma'am?#WhoKilledUjuNdubuisi https://t.co/UmXq8ZyCY8— Chidi Odinkalu (@ChidiOdinkalu) July 5, 2019
I’m sure all will be unraveled.Her family fully involved with an officer assigned to the case I cannot make any deductions but we will ensure the truth is revealed https://t.co/jJRnZpQQfs— Abike Dabiri-Erewa (@abikedabiri) July 5, 2019
In a statement announcing
Ndubuisi-Chukwu’s demise, Richard Borokini, CIIN’s director-general, said she
left a legacy in the industry.
“It is with great sadness that we
wish to inform you of the passing on to glory of the Deputy Director General of
the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Mrs. Elizabeth Uju
Ndubuisi-Chukwu who joined her maker on Thursday, 13th June 2019,” he said.
“Mrs. Ndubisi-Chukwu was a
dedicated staff of the Institute and was a valued member of the Institute since
she resumed duties at the Institute on the 9th April 2016.
 |
| A champion she was! |
“During her time at the
Institute, she consistently championed the ideals of the Institute, promoting
the insurance Industry agenda with her expertise and experience. In particular,
the CIIN Breakfast Seminar Series, a program that has become a feature in the
insurance industry is one of the legacies that she leaves behind.
“Mrs. Uju was kind and always had
a pleasant disposition to her work and in all her relations with everyone. At
this difficult time, her family and friends constantly remain in our thoughts
and prayers as we pray they find the strength to go through this period. We
urge you to equally keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
A touching tribute on her
memorial page reads: “No one is truly dead until the ripples they create in the
world die away. The ripples Mrs. Uju Ndubisi Chukwu has stirred in her time at
the Institute and in the Insurance industry will last for a lifetime. She will
be sorely missed by all.”
Many Nigerians have been killed
in South Africa, which has a record of xenophobia. The death toll of Nigerians
killed in the country has been on the rise. Over 120 have lost their lives since
2016.
Between April 6 and April 9,
2019, three Nigerians were killed at different locations in the country. In
May, another was allegedly killed by the South African police.
 |
| Ndubisi-Chukwu with her sons who she can never hold again |
When he visited Nigeria last
year, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa blamed the persistent killing
of Nigerians in his country on “criminals”, vowing to bring perpetrators to
book.
“There has been quite a number of
incident in our country where foreign nationals some of whom are Nigerians have
lost their lives and are being attacked. I will like to say here and now that,
that has been as a result of criminal activity among our own people which we
are focusing on from a criminal element point of view,”he had said.
“I want to state here and now
that South Africans do not have any form of negative disposition or hatred
towards Nigerians and in the main Nigerians in South Africa and a number of
places of our country live side by side. So, I want to dispel this notion that
when a Nigerian looses his or her life in South Africa, it is as a result of an
intentional action by South Africans against Nigerians. That is simply not
true. You will know that South Africa has a number of challenges, one of which
is criminality which is all pervasive.”
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