Chibuike Osuji, Prominent Crime Correspondent Dies At 52

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A prominent journalist with the Source Magazine and an active member of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), Mr. Chibuike Newman Osuji is dead.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Osuji died on Sunday after a protracted illness, which kept him at a Lagos private hospital for months.

The 52-year old Osuji, who hailed from Amato, Avuvu Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, was said to have passed on in the early hours of last Sunday.
Since his death was announced, journalists on the Crime beat, his immediate constituency, were thrown into mourning mood as Osuji was an amiable and committed member of Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria and largely loved by his colleagues.
Throughout his days in the hospital, CRAN members ably led by Mr. Odita Sunday of the Guardian Newspapers, did their best in terms of prayers, financial and moral support to ensure that he recovered but regrettably death had its way.

In a statement by the leadership of CRAN, there will be a service of songs in his honour on Friday March 15, 2019, at his No.1 Sikiru Alimi Street, Ijesha area of Lagos at 5pm while burial arrangements will subsequently be announced by his family.

Some time in 2018, the late journalist’s sickness had reportedly begun as malaria and typhoid fever but when he was diagnosed in the hospital, a case of ulcer which was dripping blood inside his system was revealed. His faeces were said to have been darkened with drops of blood.
Due to the seemly complicated nature of the illness at some point, he had to undergo comprehensive tests at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital to ascertain the real cause of his problem. Huge sums of money contributed by his family, friends, colleagues and well wishers to assist him at some point got exhausted, thus prompting CRAN to use the media platform to solicit for assistance from members of the public. Regrettably, not much was realised.
As at press time, serious efforts were being made by members of CRAN to assist the family in giving the late Osuji a befitting burial.