A hit-and-run motorcycle rider has terminated the life of a Biafra War Veteran, throwing his family, friends and relatives into mourning. The war veteran, Elder Raphael Alozie Umunna, was knocked down close to his Kaduna residence and rushed to the St. Gerard Catholic Hospital for surgery. He eventually gave up the battle for life on Sunday, August 24, 2025 – exactly 16 days after the accident.

His burial, which took place last Saturday, November 8, 2025, in his country home Umuokogbuo Eluama Isuikwuato Abia State, drew a large crowd of mourners. At the church service held at Umuokogbuo Town Hall, tributes poured in from mourners, some of whom came from Aba, Enugu, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, where he was erstwhile chairman of Eluama Development Union (EDU).

The 78 years old Elder Raphael Umunna, who was fondly called Nnayi Ralph (Our Father Ralph) and “Democracy”, was described as kind-hearted, patriotic and contented.

According to his biography read at the funeral ceremony held at Umuokogbuo Town Hall, Ralph was born on June 25, 1947 in Umuoba in present-day Abia State, to late Mr. Cornelius Umunna Edeyi and late Madam Margaret Onuaku Umunna Edeyi. He was forced to grow up fast by circumstances beyond his control.

“He was in his late teens when the 1966 Nigerian political crisis forced his parents to flee their Kaduna base with him and his five siblings and return to their ancestral home in what was to become the shortlived Republic of Biafra.

“The next year the crisis snowballed into a civil war. A brave young man and a great lover of his people, young Ralph voluntarily joined the Biafra Army and fought gallantly to prevent the extermination of his people.

“Shortly after the civil war in 1970, he was forced to become "Nnayi" following the untimely death of his father,” the biography said.

It added that, “With the war over, Ralph, a trained Stenographer, returned to Kaduna to fight for his future. He eventually secured employment with the famous Defence Industries Corporation (DIC or DICON), meritoriously serving Nigeria until his retirement.

“Contented, easy-going and ever cheerful, Elder Ralph, who is also popularly known by the nickname "Democracy", was a fluent speaker of four languages, namely, Igbo, Hausa, English and Pidgin.

“Months ago he announced that he would not want to still live in Kaduna by the time he would turn 80 in 2027. He eagerly looked forward to return to Umuokogbuo and fully discharge his duties as an elder.

“Unfortunately, that was not to be as a reckless hit-and-run rider knocked him down, not too far from his residence, barely two months after his 78th birthday. Like the warrior he was, “Elder Ralph fought bravely for life but finally died in hospital on Sunday, August 24, 2025.”

The late war veteran is survived by his loyal wife, Anna, children, grandchildren, siblings and a host of relatives, among them his youngest sibling, News Express Publisher Isaac Umunna.