ALMOST one month after Elizabeth Obianuju Ndubisi, a deputy Director General of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria(CIIN) was found dead in a hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nigerians have started a campaign for a thorough investigation into the mysterious death.
Obianuju’s body was found in her hotel room on June 13, at the Emperor’s Palace Hotel, a tribute page opened for her by friends and family said.
The 53-year-old CIIN deputy DG was in South Africa to attend the conference of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO) which held in Johannesburg when she was allegedly murdered by yet to be identified assailants.
She was reported to have attended the closing dinner of the AIO Conference the night before her body was found.
“Her colleagues who were with her saw her healthy,” wrote Bennet Ndubisi, a relation of the deceased on the tribute page.
While it was held that she might have suffered a sudden death over the night, the death certificate released on June 20 by South Africa’s Dept. of Home Affairs after an autopsy revealed that she had died of unnatural cause.
“This was confirmed in a separate document issued by South Africa’s Dept of Health on 27 June, where they confirmed that the autopsy revealed she had been strangled,” Bennet Ndubisi further wrote.
Almost a month after the incident and no clue to who her assailants were, Nigerians are already accusing the management of the Emperor’s Palace Hotel & Convention Centre of thwarting investigation into the mysterious death.
They alleged that the hotel management is unwilling to provide access to CCTV images and other evidence that may help investigations.
Former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu is leading a campaign on Twitter asking for a thorough probe into the incident.
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, CGoF (@ChidiOdinkalu) July 5, 2019
Odinkalu is currently asking Abike Dabiri, Chairperson of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to be at the forefront of the investigation.
U may wish to look at this document, ma'am. It wasn't just death by any "unnatural cause"; it was "unnatural cause consistent with strangulation". Just imagine – as u work this case – the last moments of a mother in her room by herself having life manually wrung out of her…. pic.twitter.com/tsILqTjGnC
— Chidi Odinkalu, CGoF (@ChidiOdinkalu) July 5, 2019