We Need N35m To Bring Back Body Of Murdered Nigerian Medical Student – FG

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said flying back the corpse of the Nigerian medical student, Chibuikem Emmanuel, who was murdered in the Philippines would cost N35m.

Osun Defender reports that Emmanuel was murdered in the Philippines allegedly by some Chinese nationals on October 23, 2023.

A post on X, by one Michael Ojuola, who described Emmanuel as his friend, said the victim was “brutally murdered” by a group of Chinese.

“They tied his hands up, covered and tied his mouth and beat him blue-black until he gave up the ghost,” he wrote.

The Director Consular, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Enya Francis, on Tuesday, said the ministry was in close contact with the Embassy in the Philippines and was on top of the situation.

Francis, according to a statement by the spokesperson for Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, spoke during an investigative hearing on the matter by the Senate.

He was quoted to have said, “Ikem’s corpse is yet to be buried as it will cost between N31m and N35m to repatriate and bury the corpse in Nigeria as against N10m to N15m to cremate it in the Philippines.”

He noted that the cost of keeping the corpse at the funeral home was accruing N30,000 daily, hence the need to expedite action on the investigation and take appropriate action.