Tony Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings has mourned the death of Israel Ogbue, his father-in-law who passed away on Wednesday at 99.
In a statement on Saturday, Elumelu described Ogbue as “one of those people who quietly become part of the foundation of your life. His passing leaves a space that cannot be filled.”
He recalled, “In January 2005, I led the merger between Standard Trust Bank and UBA Group still recognised as the most transformative banking merger in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Chief joined the UBA Board as a Non-Executive Director in that same year, bringing decades of senior leadership and a reputation for integrity that preceded him.”
Elumelu added, “UBA Board appointed him Chairman in 2011. He served until 2013, reinforcing governance and a culture of accountability.
“But his professional titles capture only a little of who he truly was a man of deep and unshakeable faith, devoted husband, father, and patriarch.”
He added, “It is with a grief that words struggle to hold that my wife Awele Elumelu and I share that Chief passed peacefully on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, on his 99th birthday. Rest well, Chief O, as I fondly called him. We will miss you dearly.”
