A 37-year-old widow, Chinenye Okonkwo has called for intervention of the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, following her alleged eviction from her late husband’s compound by brother-in-law.
The young widow and mother of five children who hails from Umuodiogu, Umunakwa Ifite, Oraifite in Ekwusigo local government area of the state, while speaking to journalists at the weekend, narrated that following her sack from the family compound, she has rented an apartment, adding that this has increased her burden as she also has school fees and feeding to single-handedly take care of.
She said, “My husband died in 2017 at the age of 45. Since then, his brother, Boniface Okonkwo, popularly known as “Over Heat”, started encroaching into my late husband’s land. He carried the entire blocks my husband moulded to build his own house.
“When I accosted him about the blocks, he said since I’m not ready to build, he will carry them and mould another set of blocks for me when I’m ready.
“Now, he and his elder brother called Pastor have sent me away, asking me to go and look for someone else to marry me that I’m still young. I’m struggling to pay both house rent and children’s school fees,” she lamented.
Speaking further, she explained that she’s taken the matter to the community’s widows organisation, community leaders and others, adding however that despite this, his brothers-in-law still remained adamant.
Chairman, Umuodiogu kindred, Mr Francis Okafor, who was at the briefing, condemned the actions of the widow’s brother-in-law. He said the community has waded into the matter, and Mr Boniface Okonkwo has been arrested.
Reacting to the development, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrest of Okonkwo, stating that the brother-in-law was in their custody.
