Just In: Renowned Activist, Innocent Chukwuma, Dies

Innocent Chukwuma, one of Nigeria’s frontline civil society leaders, is dead.

He died in Lagos on Saturday evening after being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. He died at the age of 55.

His death was made public by Edetaen Ojo, a frontline freedom of expression advocate and executive director of the Media Rights Agenda.

He said, “With profound shock & sadness, I regret to inform you that Innocent Chukwuma passed away a few hours ago, in the evening of April 3. May his soul rest in peace.”

Also reacting to the death, Senator Shehu Sani, a former federal lawmaker from Kaduna central senatorial district, tweeted, “Innocent Chukwuma; another tragic loss of a patriot. Death hath taken away one of the brightest.May his Soul Rest In Peace.”

Chukwuma drew public attention first as a student union activist at the University of Nigeria, in the early eighties when his voice sounded loud during the campaigns against military autocracy.