Patricia Okereke for burial Aug. 29 as Marwa, other top Nigerians console HURIWA boss

Mrs. Patricia Okereke, the eldest sister of Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), will be buried on Friday, August 29, 2025.

According to a statement personally signed by Onwubiko on Friday, the interment will take place at her late husband’s compound in Ndiuche Ochie-uno, Arondizuogu, Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.

The statement revealed that the families of the late Mazi Osonduagwuike Okorieocha Onwubiko and the late Mazi Godday Okereke jointly announced the arrangements for the final rites.

The wake-keep has been fixed for Thursday, August 28, while a Christian service will precede the burial at Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Ndiuche Ochie-uno, Arondizuogu.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Mohammed Marwa (rtd), Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has extended condolences to the Onwubiko family.

In a letter delivered during his visit, Marwa described the late Mrs. Patricia Okereke (née Onwubiko) as “a phenomenal Christian mother and a model of Christian excellence.”

Marwa wrote: “I am writing to convey my sincere condolences over the recent death of your sister, Mrs. Patricia Okereke. Kindly accept my deepest sympathy and help convey the same to your family. The death of a loved one is a trying period for the human family. But as we have come to understand as mortals, death is a necessary end and a home call by God that we must all submit to.

“As such, we take solace in the life and times of Mrs. Patricia Okereke who was an epitome of good parenting, honesty, enduring values and service to humanity, qualities she did not fail to bequeath to her children and grandchildren.

“In this moment of grief, be reminded that society celebrates Mrs. Okereke as a woman who had acquitted herself well of her earthly assignments before departing this world. Her passage, no doubt, is painful for the family to bear. I pray that God Almighty will grant you, the family and her community the fortitude to bear the loss.”

Other prominent Nigerians have also commiserated with the HURIWA boss, including House of Representatives member for Ideato North/Ideato South, Ikenga Ugochinyere; former Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani; and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North, among others.