By Abiola Olawale
Edna Ibru, a former First Lady of Delta State and Miss Nigeria in 1964, has passed away in London, United Kingdom.
Edna was said to have breathed her last on January 15, 2025, after a short illness.
She was married to Olorogun Felix Ibru, the first executive Governor of Delta State.
Her death was confirmed by her son, Dr. Paul Ibru, in a statement released to journalists in Warri, Delta State.
He said: “Our amazing mother passed into glory on Wednesday, 15 January 2025, after a brief illness.
“Until her death, she was full of life, and we never expected her to leave us so soon, but we cannot question the will of God in her precious life.
“She was a lover of people, a mediator, a mother to many, outrageously humorous, deeply caring, down to earth, full of stories all of the time, and we will miss her very dearly.”
The New Diplomat reports that Edna Ibru won the Miss Nigeria beauty pageant in 1964. Following her Miss Nigeria win, she represented Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant, becoming the first Nigerian and African to participate in this international competition.
She was married to Olorogun Felix Ibru, who was the first executive Governor of Delta State, Nigeria, from 1992 to 1993.
Olorogun Felix Ibru, an Urhobo, was also a Senator and one of Nigeria’s most legendary architects whose iconic designs including his once palatial home in Ikeja GRA, Lagos remained an iconic structure for a very long time.
