Going by the information making rounds, the registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Godswill Obioma, was not assassinated as reported earlier.

The family of the demised examination body’s boss have disclosed that he died Monday afternoon after a brief illness.

This was contained in a message shared with the examinations council management by the son of the late professor of Education Measurement and Evaluation, Godswill Obioma the 2nd.

This was also confirmed by Mr Obioma’s personal assistant, Obinna Otumdi.

Mr Otumdi spoke exclusively in a telephone interview on Tuesday morning.

The personal assistant, however, said he was not in the best position to speak on the death of his late boss.

He said; “I am sure the family will address the public soon. My boss was ill, briefly, before nature took its course.”

He was said to have died at the age of 66.

According to the message by the son, which was sent on Tuesday morning to NECO’s Director of Human Resources Management, Mustapha Abdul, Mr Obioma died on Monday afternoon.

The short message, a copy of which was obtained by newsmen, reads in part; “Dear Sir, this is to formally inform you that my father, Prof. Godswill Obioma, the registrar/chief executive officer 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.

“We shall keep you duly informed.”

The message, which was signed by the young Obioma, said it was sent on behalf of the family.

“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 newsmen on the phone.

It was learnt that by 3 p.m., the deceased called his personal assistant that 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 another confirmation of his death was obtained.