SOUTH African authorities have promised to unravel the circumstances surrounding death of a Nigerian insurance professional, Mrs. Elizabeth Chukwu, who was killed recently in her hotel room in South Africa.
The South African Acting High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Bobby Moroe, made the pledge.
He said the woman’s killing had become a priority for his government.
The acting high commissioner said investigation had begun into the matter, with a video footage obtained from the hotel to aid the probe.
Moroe spoke on Tuesday during a meeting with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and the brother to the late Insurance chief, Dr. Chiedu Ndubisi, at the South African High Commission in Abuja.
The envoy, who regretted the killing, assured his visitors that efforts were being made to ensure that the matter gets to a logical conclusion.
He said: “A lot has been done by the South African High Commission, its consulate in Lagos, our government, together with the law enforcement agencies in South Africa. The reports we received on Sunday, in the evening, is that investigation has been opened in Johannesburg and the matter is under investigation and it has been prioritised.
“Once the outcome of the investigation on the actual cause of the untimely passing of Mrs. Chukwu has been obtained, a detailed report shall be provided. But if need be, even before the actual report is issued, as and when we receive intermittent updates on the matter, we would ensure that we provide the same to the family, to yourselves and other stakeholders.
Read Also: ‘Women are better empowered with insurance’
“The South African police services are working very closely with the workers and management of Emperor Palace, the hotel that Mrs. Chukwu untimely lost her life. A video footage has been obtained and it is being studied. We are waiting for the authorities to give us an update.
“You will also appreciate that we are constrained at this point to speculate or to provide as much information as possible because the matter is still under investigation.
“We wouldn’t want to put the horse before the cart because we think this is a very sensitive case. We need to threat with the greatest of respect. We are talking about the loss of a human life, and our government is dealing with the matter with the greatest priority. “
Moroe noted that the meeting marked the beginning of renewed relationship on the matter and others.
He said: “It is the beginning of another journey in our relationship between Nigeria and South Africa. It is our best interest to keep it intact. It is in our best interest to leave a legacy for prosperity for those who will come after us to understand the genesis of this relationship and what this relationship means to the people of South Africa and Nigeria.”
Mrs Dabiri-Erewa stressed that justice must be done and a final closure reached on the matter.
Leave a Reply