Senate Summons Nigerian Ambassador To South Africa Over Death Of CIIN Boss

The Senate on Wednesday summoned the Nigeria ambassador to South Africa to explain the circumstances that led to the alleged murder of the Deputy Director-General of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Elizabeth Ndubusi-Chukwu in the country recently.

The upper chamber also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue travel alerts to Nigerians travelling to South Africa.

The red chamber also asked the ministry to carry out a comprehensive investigations into the death of the woman.

The Senate took the decisions following point of order raised by the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe.

Abaribe drew the attention of his colleagues to the gruesome murder of Ndubusi-Chukwu.

He said, “Elizabeth Ndubusi-Chukwu, a mother and an indigene of Anambra State, was found dead in one of the rooms at the Emperor Palace Hotel and Convention Centre on June 13, 2019, where she had lodged.

“She went to South Africa to attend the Conference of the African Insurance Organisation and initially was suspected to have died of cardiac arrest.

“The insinuation was proved wrong, following autopsy report released on June 20, 2019 by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, which indicated in a death certificate that the death was unnatural and suspected to be ‘murder due to strangulation.’

“The suspicion that she could have been murdered was further confirmed in a separate document issued by South Africa’s Department of Health on June 27, 2019, where it corroborated the autopsy report and revealed that she was strangled.”

He expressed concern that, in a curious twist, it was alleged that Emperor Palace Hotel and Convention Centre where she had lodged was reluctant to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to unravel the circumstances surrounding her suspicious death.

Abaribe also noted that it was not the first time Nigerians had died in suspicious and curious circumstances in South Africa.

The Senate commended the Federal Government for its prompt action in seeking the South African authorities’ explanation on the death of Ndubuisi-Chukwu.

It also urged the Federal Government not to relent in its efforts to unravel the circumstances of the unfortunate demise.

The red chamber also urged the South African Government to carry out investigations into the death of Ndubuisi-Chukwu and other Nigerians in such suspicious circumstance in South Africa,