Another View on The Southerner Newspaper 

Saturday, September 20, 2025

September 21, 2025, makes it exactly 20 years that Chima Ubani died. That day recorded a sad history for all revolutionaries in Nigeria and beyond.

It is with profound sadness, heavy heart and tears in my eyes that, again I remember Chimaobi Enyinnaya Ubani, my brother, friend and comrade, in the political campaign for a better and progressive Nigeria.

Chima Ubani was killed in a terrible and mysterious motor accident along Potiskum road, Maiduguri, during a nationwide protests organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.

To flag off the nationwide protests organized by NLC, we assembled at the entrance gate of the National Stadium, Surulere. I arrived the gate to meet Chima. We greeted warmly and he immediately pleaded I followed him closely. While we were exchanging greetings with others, Adams Oshiomhole, then NLC President arrived. We greeted, shook hands and threw some jabs.

Oshiomhole and Chima spoke to ginger Nigerians that had gathered for the march to Alausa, the Seat of Lagos political power, to present the collective presentation of our demands to the Governor.

I still remember that, the very day Chima embarked on that journey to the North for the continuation of the rally, I was with him at the CLO office. Before he set out, he attended to his colleagues, signed documents and left instructions. I had a brief chat with him before he departed. So, It remains a painful experience for me considering how close we were.

That evening on September 21, 2005, arriving home hungry, I rushed into the kitchen since my wife and baby were not home yet. I brought out the soup from the freezer to steam. I quickly made eba, trying to catch up with the 07:00pm news of any of the TV stations.

I had just begun to eat when Channels television resumed their news. The announcement of Chima’s death was the first headline that evening. I could not believe my ears as I took the remote and raised the volume, stood up and went closer to the telly. The news was now read out in details. I was confused. I began to pant and sweat heavily.

I reached out to my phone and called Onyeisi Chiemeke, our mutual friend and comrade, he confirmed the story. I wailed and wailed. I refused to believe Chiemeke’s confirmation. I reached out to Kolawole Ogunbiyi, my bossom friend and staff of CLO to tell me something different. Perhaps, Chiemeke was only pulling my legs; the news may just be fake. Ogunbiyi rather confirmed the bad news further. I continued my wailing and abandoned my dinner.

My wife and baby arrived home to meet my abandoned food at my usual corner while I was sitting on a chair weeping. She grabbed me and enquired what was amiss. I managed to mutter that Chima was dead.

Chima was a revolutionary, an intellectual and political strategist of high pedigree. He was a very committed activist to the freedom of the Nigerian people. He fought tenaciously for human rights and justice of the people without any form of discrimination.

Chima’s exit deeply created a vacuum within the rights community. There has not been anyone to take his position. He was a thinker, bridge builder and had a way of marrying democratic groups together. He was not known to be a member of any religious group, yet he was well received and accommodated by every religious group.

Once during the days of late Gen. Sani Abacha’s dictatorship, when Chima was haunted by security operatives, a religious group in Ijebu-Ode took him in to prevent the security agencies from arresting him.

If Chima were to be alive today, no doubt, he would have thought of a possible mass action to challenge the government on several of its economic policy failures and abuse of democratic principles.

Chima’s activism was globally noted at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, when he became the Students’ Union President. He contested and defeated the current Anambra state governor, Charles Soludo in that election that produced him as the SUG President.

He led the students to several battles against the draconian rules of the then Vice Chancellor of UNN, Professor Chimere Ikokwu.

He was never found wanting at the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, an umbrella body for Nigerian University students. He travelled round campuses to hold meetings and mobilize students for actions.

He graduated from UNN as one of the best in his department, confirming his intelligence and brilliance in academics. It was alleged that the University authority merely denied Chima of his merited first class based on his activism.

At graduation, Chima briefly worked at an agricultural institute based in Ibadan before relocating to Lagos to join the Civil Liberties Organization, the foremost human rights organization in Nigeria at that time. He rose from being a Researcher to Head of Human Rights Education, Head of Democracy and Political desk and finally becoming the group’s Executive Director until his death.

Chima was one of the brains behind the formations of Campaign for Democracy, CD, Democratic Alternative, DA, United Action for Democracy, UAD, Labour and Civil Society Coalition and Joint Action Forum, that were used to challenge the military dictatorship and to demand for democracy, rule of law and good governance during the military and early part of this democracy.

He was in the forefront against the military and oil companies’ denial of the rights of the peoples of the Niger Delta region.

Chima hailed from Obete Uboma in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State. The first son of late Pastor and Mrs. F. O Ubani of the Seventh Day Adventist Mission. Both father and mother died few days apart and were buried same day in their family compound in 2013.

Chima was arrested severally, detained and tortured by State Security agents but he never buckled under. Once he regained his freedom, he rejoined his team mates to continue to provide leadership, strategy, support and mobilisation of the civil populace against government’s insensitivity, mis-governance and high-handedness.

Chima’s wife, Ochuwa and four children were left to mourn their father whose exit created a big vacuum in their lives. His departure also gravely affected the political activism in the country. Chima won’t be alive and there would be dullness in the civil rights movement. Certainly not. He would have thought of a way to engage the authorities in a political battle.

Chima’s loss is a harvest for the State, in a way no one imagined at first. Comrade Chima, may your soul continue to find favour with your Creator and fight the evil forces that took you away on the day you went on your journey to fight for the Nigerian masses who suffer from one form of mis-governance or the other in the hands of conscienceless rulers.