Chinwoke Mbadinuju, ex-governor of Anambra State who passed law that legally established ‘Bakassi Boys’, dies at 78

Former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, has been confirmed dead at the National Hospital in Abuja on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at the age of 78 years.

A statement by his family said Mbadinuju, fondly called ‘Odera’, died after a brief illness.

“With heavy hearts but utmost gratitude to God for a life well-spent, we announce the passing of our father, grandfather, uncle, friend, and associate, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, a former governor of Anambra State and elder statesman,” a statement signed by his son, Cheta Mbadinuju, read.

“Odera, as he was fondly called, passed peacefully at the age of 78 years on the morning of April 11, 2023, at the National Hospital, Abuja after a brief illness, surrounded by his family and loved ones.”

In 1999, when Nigeria returned to democratic rule, Mbadinuju was elected the first governor of Anambra State under the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) but was not re-elected after he failed to secure the party’s ticket in 2003.

Born on June 14, 1945, Mbadinuju was an associate professor of politics and African studies at the State University of New York before joining politics. In 1979, he became the personal assistant to the governor of the old Enugu State, Dr. Jim Chris Nwobodo, and would serve as personal assistant to President Shehu Shagari between 1980 and 1983.

While his four years in office were marred with unpaid salaries and various industrial actions by teachers and other civil servants, Mbadinuju passed a law that created the Anambra Vigilante Services, which legally recognised the Bakassi Boys. The feared group was charged with fighting insecurity in the state but later accused by many, including a US-based Human Rights Watch of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations.

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Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election and a former governor of Anambra state, in a condolence message described Mbadinuju as a “politician who served Anambra selflessly and diligently.”

Cheta Mbadinuju, while asking God to console those the former governor left behind, said that funeral arrangements would be announced in due course.

“At this trying time, we pray for God’s grace and mercy upon him and those left behind to mourn him. His funeral arrangements will be announced in due course by the family”.