Nigerian crypto influencer and popular X (formerly Twitter) user, Gaius Chibueze, known as Bitcoin Chief, has announced the death of his father just hours after mocking the passing of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Intel Region, Buhari passed away on Sunday at a London clinic. His burial is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at his residence in Daura, Katsina State. While many have shared tributes, others have been critical, pointing to his controversial leadership.
Among the critics was Bitcoin Chief, who took to social media shortly after the news broke, writing:
“Buhari was a very terrible president. We must not pretend now. May his soul get what he did to Nigeria.”
However, in a tragic and unexpected twist, Bitcoin Chief returned to X early Monday to announce the sudden death of his own father.
“A few minutes ago, my father passed away in his home in Enugu State,” he wrote.
Chibueze shared a heartfelt tribute, expressing profound grief and remembering his father as a deeply faithful and intellectually curious man. He recalled how, at just five years old, his father began teaching him to read the Bible and preach as a Jehovah’s Witness.
“At a young age, my dad dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but his family couldn’t afford to send him to university. Still, he never stopped learning. He loved books and read constantly. At Izzi Boys Secondary School, he was always first in his class.”
He described his father’s deep love for reading and the vast personal library he maintained. After moving from his village to Ikom, Cross River State, at 19, his father met and married his late mother. In 1992, he joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses, which became the cornerstone of his life from then on.
Nine years ago, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and had been battling it ever since. Chibueze flew him, his wife, and his younger brother to Turkey for a deep brain surgery that brought some relief. Although the procedure improved his condition, his father eventually chose to return to Enugu to continue his ministry.
Recently, the battery implant for the treatment began to fail.
“Four days ago, my younger brother ran over to tell me the battery in Dad’s chest had gone off. The tremors were back. I contacted the hospital in Turkey—they confirmed the battery needed replacing, but my father refused to go back. He said, ‘You have tried. I am grateful. But I’ll prefer to wait for death.’”
Chibueze insisted he would send him back for treatment, but his father remained resolute. Just days later, the call came from his brother: “It has happened o. Mpa is gone!”
“I felt deep sadness… but in truth, my father had been preparing us for this moment since I was 10. He always spoke of death with calm certainty, believing in resurrection as promised by Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
He added that his father had left specific burial instructions, which he plans to honor immediately upon his return to Enugu.
“My dad wasn’t perfect. I carry many scars from our past. But one thing I’ll never forget is that he never lied and never coveted what others had. We reconciled nine years ago when I had my first son, Ikemba.”
Chibueze ended the tribute with a nostalgic photo and a farewell message:
“Adieu, Chibueze Ngene. In this 1998 photo, my father had taken me from our village, Obeagu Awkunanaw, to Topland in Enugu, where I began carpentry under his brother, Emeka, at the Enugu Timber Shade.”
