Popular crypto influencer loses father hours after mocking Buhari’s demise
Popular Nigerian crypto influencer and social media personality, Gaius Chibueze, popularly known as Bitcoin Chief, has been plunged into mourning following the death of his father—just hours after making a controversial post about the demise of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chibueze had earlier taken to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle to criticize Buhari, describing him as a “very terrible president” and stating, “We must not pretend now. May his soul get what he did to Nigeria.”
In a sudden turn of events, the influencer returned to the platform on Monday to announce the death of his father at their home in Enugu State.
“A few minutes ago, my father passed away in his home in Enugu State,” he tweeted.
In a series of emotional tributes, Chibueze reflected on his father’s life, recalling how he was instrumental in shaping his childhood and spiritual upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness. He described his father as a dedicated learner and avid reader, despite being unable to pursue a legal career due to financial hardship. According to him, his father owned one of the largest personal libraries he had ever seen and taught him to read at the age of five.
Chibueze also shared that his father had been battling Parkinson’s disease for the past nine years. In a bid to improve his condition, the family took him to Turkey for deep brain surgery, after which he spent four months recovering and obtained permanent residency. Despite initial improvements, his father chose to return to Nigeria to continue his religious ministry.
He revealed that the battery implant from the surgery had stopped working just four days before his father’s death, causing a relapse of the disease. Although plans were underway for another surgery in Turkey, his father declined, saying, “You have tried. I am grateful. But I’ll prefer to wait for death.”
Chibueze added that his father had long prepared the family for his passing, often speaking about death with calmness and conviction, rooted in his faith in the resurrection as taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“My dad wasn’t perfect… but one thing I will never forget is this: he never told lies, and he never coveted what others had,” he wrote.
The influencer concluded by stating that he would be returning to Enugu to carry out his father’s final wishes and lay him to rest.
