August 21, (THEWILL) – A young widow, Nkechi Okwuchukwu, deprived of her late husband’s properties, has appealed to the family Magistrate’s court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, to grant her justice.
The case, termed “Civil Emergency,” was brought before the Family Magistrate’s Court in Abakaliki, presided over by Chief Magistrate Lynda Ogodo, where the widow demanded an explanation on the cause(s) of her husband’s sudden death and unconditional release of all her husband’s properties.
According to the application, the widow was dispossessed of her late husband’s properties, Mr John Okwuchukwu, by her inlaw, Mr Friday Nwankpuru, (eldest brother to the deceased) from Ndiegu Amagu Ikwo, Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Consequently, she is homeless with no means of livelihood for her and the 3 children.
The widow, Mrs Nkechi Okwuchukwu from Izzi LGA, got married to late Mr John Okwuchukwu and has 3 children. Ernest Okwuchukwu 10yrs, Chisom Okwuchukwu 8yrs, and Oluebube Okwuchukwu 8 months.
According to the widow, her late husband was a motor mechanic at the Abakaliki mechanic site before his sudden death and was hale and hearty until summoned to the village by his elder brother, Mr Friday Nwankpuru, in March 2022.
Meanwhile, all efforts by Mrs Okwuchukwu to reach her husband on the phone were in vain, as the widow was later informed of her husband’s death by his brother, Friday Nwankpuru.
Reportedly, Nwankpuru wanted to bury the remains of his late brother in the absence of the wife and children but was opposed by friends and club members of the late John Okwuchukwu, who insisted that the wife and children must attend the burial and consequently returned the corpse of the late Okwuchukwu to the morgue.
Nwankpuru is said to have seized all his late brother’s properties, ATM cards, and chased his wife and children out of their house in the village, which the late John built in Ikwo.
Meanwhile, the widow, Nkechi, reported the case to the late husband’s family but all efforts to address the case proved abortive as Friday allegedly turns aggressive towards everyone.
Friday Nwankpuru went on to sell the late John’s properties and presently occupies his apartment in the village against the wish of the widow and her children.
“My husband John Okwuchukwu was a mechanic and has a workshop at Abakaliki mechanic site. In the village, we no longer live in the family compound because my husband bought land of his own and built our own house. In the month of March 2022, he told me his eldest brother, Friday Nwankpuru, summoned him to the village without any cogent reason and he would not honour the invitation. I persuaded my husband to respect and honour his eldest brother’s summon, being the representative of their late father in the family.
“My husband accepted my advice and travelled to the village one evening after his day’s job at the site and that was the last time I heard from him. Before travelling, he was very healthy. No symptoms of any form of sickness at all. So, when I felt he must have gotten to the village and called him so as to greet my mother-in-law, the calls were not received by anyone.
“Unfortunately, by the dawn of the following day, Friday Nwankpuru (my brother-in-law), who summoned my husband home, started calling me to bring the children home that my husband is dead. Being heavily pregnant with my last baby, I was confused about what was happening, so refused to go home.
“From then, I started receiving more calls from others in the village to return with the children, even when I was yet to know my husband’s true whereabouts. Nwankpuru went on to fix the burial date for the same month without my consent. Coincidentally, I went into labour and put to bed the same day of the proposed Kangaroo burial. The causes of my husband’s death were yet to be explained and the remains were also planned to be buried without me if not for the urgent intervention of my husband’s club members who forced him (Friday Nwankpuru) to return the corpse to the mortuary and fill up the grave, till when I am fit to attend the burial.
“The following day after the burial, Nwankpuru sent me and my children out of my husband’s house. Took our big mattress, television and DVD to his own house. All efforts to resolve the problems were nullified through his newly developed aggressive attitude. I locked the house, travelled to town and started menial jobs to feed. When things became so unbearable, I went home to sell some of the empty crates of drinks I parked in the house and discovered my brother-in-law (Nwankpuru) now lives in our house and took possession of all our properties. When I reported the matter to my mother-in-law, her reply was that Nwankpuru only took over his late younger brother’s properties, not any other person’s own. As I speak, Nwankpuru is still with my husband’s ATM card by now I know he must have withdrawn all the cash therein.
“That is why I am in court today. Am tired of all these humiliations from my husband’s family, particularly Friday Nwankpuru, I need justice. Till now, no one has given me any justifiable reason for my husband’s death as well as the discrimination and maltreatment that followed. Is it now a crime to marry someone you love irrespective of the fact that he is not from the same clan as you?” The widow asked rhetorically.
In view of the passionate appeal, trail Magistrate Lynda Ogodo granted the appeal of the plaintiff and stated:
“The respondent, Mr Friday Nwankpuru, is ordered as follows;
– To appear before the Family Magistrate Court.
– To vacate the properties of late Mr John Okwuchukwu.
– To pay monthly N200,000 to the poor widow and her children for their monthly upkeep, feeding, medical or alternatively, return all seized properties to the widow.”
The case was adjourned till August 31, 2023, for further hearing.
About the Author
Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
