Buhari, others mourn as civil society leader, Chukwuma dies at 55

One of Nigeria’s civil society leaders, Innocent Chukwuma, has died.

He died Saturday evening in Lagos after he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, an aggressive cancer of the blood. He was 55.

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Mr Chukwuma, who holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Leicester in the UK, served from January 2013 until recently, as the Ford Foundation’s representative for West Africa.

He founded CLEEN Foundation and was one of the students within the NANS platform that opposed the arbitrary powers of military rule in the 1980s. He continued the struggle as a staff of the Civil Liberties Organisation where he led research and advocacy on police reform.

President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the family of the late civil society leader.

President Buhari, in a statement Sunday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, described the deceased as a credible voice of transparency who died when the nation needed his services most.

“His demise will be badly felt because of his great contributions to our efforts to ensure transparency and good governance under our democratic system,” the president said.

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) and the CLEEN Foundation, have expressed sadness over the deaths of Comrades Yinka Odumakin and Innocent Chukwuma.

This is contained is separate statements by CHRICED Executive Director, Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi and member Board of Directors, CLEEN Foundation, Prof. Etannibi Alemika.

“There is no mistake in the fact that the demise of these two committed and courageous comrades is a big blow to Nigeria’s community of activists and the nation at large,” Zikirullahi said.

Alemika said Chukwuma was a patriot who throughout his adult life struggled for a Nigerian nation where peace, justice, development and security are attained and sustained.

A former Presidential candidate and global energy executive, Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, described late Yinka Odumakin as a man of extraordinary courage that stood by his words.

“To say Nigeria has lost another great is, to put it mildly. He was one of the greatest,” he said.

“He was passionate with General Buhari’s cause when the General had very few friends in the South West. He probably displayed the same passion against the General when he changed his perspective. That was vintage Yinka,” he added.