From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
A widow from Achi in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State, Mrs Ukamaka Obi, has regained access to her late husband’s bank account and the sum of ₦1.6 million allegedly confiscated by members of her husband’s family.
The recovery of the funds and the return of the ATM card took place on Wednesday, January 21, following the intervention of the Enugu State First Lady, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, through a non-governmental organisation, Gusto Care Foundation.
Mrs Obi, a young mother of two, was reportedly denied access to the bank account of her late husband, Mr Samuel Obi, after his death by some members of the family.
The situation subjected her to hardship as she struggled to feed and properly raise her two children, a boy and a girl. Those who allegedly confiscated the ATM card claimed they were saving the money for her, but were said to have withdrawn a total of ₦1.6 million from the account.
The Office of the Enugu State First Lady, in partnership with Gusto Care Foundation, subsequently intervened in the matter.
Mrs Mbah deployed a team to Achi, working in collaboration with the leadership of Oji River Local Government Area, including the Executive Chairman, Hon. Greg Anyaegbudike, and his wife, the Chairperson, Mrs Uche Anyaegbudike, as well as local authorities and key community stakeholders, to resolve the issue.
Following the intervention, the ₦1.6 million was fully refunded to Mrs Obi by the individual involved, and her late husband’s ATM card was returned to her.
Reacting to the development, several community members expressed anger over the incident, stressing that such actions were not part of their customs or culture.
In her reaction, Barrister Chidimma Egeonu, Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, described the incident as a harmful widowhood practice and inhumane.
The Managing Director of Custos Care Foundation, Comrade Egodi Igwe, also condemned the act, saying, “This is unacceptable and must not be allowed to happen to any widow or family in our communities.”
Similarly, the Chairperson of Oji River Local Government Area, Mrs Uche Anyaegbudike, stressed, “Such actions are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of our community. We will continue to protect vulnerable members of our society and prevent similar occurrences in the future.”
The community’s Chief Security Officer, Mr Nnaemeka Anyalebechi, popularly known as “Radical,” and the President-General of Achi community, Mr Agozie, assured that they would remain watchful to ensure the widow and her children are protected and that such incidents do not recur.
The President-General of the community also expressed gratitude to the wife of the Enugu State Governor for her timely intervention, describing it as a demonstration of compassion, justice and responsive leadership.
