The Nigerian Navy has initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of one of its civilian staff members, Mr. Ifeanyi Onumaegbu.
Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff, made this announcement in Lagos on Thursday, revealing that Onumaegbu passed away at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital in Ojo, Lagos, where he was employed.
Ogalla further elaborated that the deceased had been a civilian staff member of the Ministry of Defence, serving in the Laboratory Department of the NNRH since 2009.
”The Navy is deeply saddened by the demise of Mr Ifeanyi Onumaegbu and the circumstances surrounding his death. ”On March 31, he was found lifeless in his office at NNRH. “A preliminary investigation revealed that on March 26, the deceased was involved in an altercation with a civilian lady and some NN personnel in Navy Town Barracks,” he said. Ogalla said that all suspected personnel and the civilian lady involved in the previous altercation had been identified and “are currently under close custody.”
Ogalla mentioned that all suspected personnel and the civilian woman from the earlier altercation had been identified and were presently under close supervision.
He also mentioned that the Navy had assisted in transporting the deceased’s remains to a reputable government hospital in Lagos as requested by the family for an autopsy.
Recalling recent events, the News Agency of Nigeria noted that the Joint Executive Council of the Ministry of Defence organized a peaceful mourning protest on April 8 in response to Onumaegbu’s passing.
The protest took place across all units of civilian personnel within the Ministry of Defence.
