Registrar of the National Examinations Council, Professor Godswill Obioma, is dead.

According to reports, Obioma died on Monday night at his Minna residence in the Niger State capital.

The deceased’s son, in a letter addressed to the Director Human Resource Management, NECO, Mustapha Abdul, attributed the death of his father to a “brief illness”.

The letter reads: “Dear Sir, this is to formally inform you that my father, Prof. Godswill Obioma, the Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO passed to eternal glory yesterday, 31/5/2021, after a brief illness.

“We request that you kindly notify the Board, Management and the entire staff of the Council of this development”.

Meanwhile, sources at the examination body and relations of the late Mr Obioma told Premium Times that the deceased travelled from Abuja to Minna on Monday morning.

“But when he reached the city gate in Minna, he told his entourage that he would not be able to go to the office and went home with his security aides. The others, including his personal assistant, Otumdi, left for the office,” one of the sources, who does not want to be mentioned, told PREMIUM TIMES.

It was learnt that by 3 p.m., the NECO registrar called his personal assistant to say he was too tired and that he would not be able to be in the office.

“But by around 4 p.m., the police officials who were downstairs in his house called the PA to complain that their boss was yet to return downstairs. But the PA told them he already spoke to him and that he was fine. But around 5 p.m. when the PA returned home and went upstairs, he saw a lifeless body,” the source added.

The PA reportedly called in the security details immediately and they rushed Mr Obioma to an unnamed hospital in Minna where he was pronounced dead. His body was also said to have been moved to the National Hospital in Abuja on Monday evening, where he was again confirmed dead.

Obioma was appointed NECO Registrar in May 2020.