Senator Barinada Mpigi, who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the Senate, is dead.
He was 64 years old.
Family sources and close associates confirmed that the lawmaker passed away after a brief illness. However, details surrounding the nature of the illness and circumstances of his death remained unclear as of press time.
Until his death, Mpigi was a prominent political figure in Rivers State, noted for his grassroots mobilisation and sustained engagement with constituents across the senatorial district.
The late lawmaker was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2011 and was reelected to a second term in 2016.
In 2019, he was elected as the senator representing Rivers South-East senatorial district on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
During the Ninth Assembly, Mr Mpigi was appointed chairman of a joint Senate committee set up to investigate crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
More details soon.