…fingers officers at police zones 9 Umuahia, 13 Ukpo
Ônurube, a non-governmental organization (NGO), has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over the alleged deprivation of Mrs. Perpetua Nwagbo’s right to inheritance, the perpetuation of harmful widowhood practices, and fundamental rights abuse by the Federal Investigation Department (FID) Abuja and State Investigation Department (SID) units of the Nigerian Police, as well as one Dr Charles Nzeh.
The group, based in the five Southeast states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, and with special focus on gender-based violence, in the petition signed by the Convener, Marjorie Ngozi Ezihe, among other things, called on the IGP to engage actions to bring to justice all those in the corridor of justice who have enabled the continued marginalization, traumatization and sustained abuse of the vulnerable widow, as well as members of her extended family.
The group also wants the IGP to stop the ongoing harassment of Mrs. Nwagbo and her husband’s family by persons using the police in zones 9 Umuahia and 13 Ukpo.
It was gathered from the petition that Mrs. Nwagbo, from Umunachi village of Osuama autonomous community in Isiala Mbano Local Government area of Imo State, was allegedly abducted from her shop in the state on Friday, September 13th, 2024, by men of the Police from the SID.
Without definite unit information, the NGO reached out to the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, who assisted in locating the widow.
The petition to the IGP also explained that when Mrs Nwagbo was later found seated in a police facility in Imo, she looked pale, mute and withdrawn, and that a man seated beside her who introduced himself as Dr. Charles Nzeh persisted in responding to questions posed at Perpetua on why she was brought to the police facility.
According to the NGO, the man, Dr Nzeh, claimed to represent “a brother,” Obiora Ezeakabekwe, who is the second respondent in a case instituted by the widow and her late husband’s family. Dr. Nzeh alleged Mrs Nwagbo’s culpability in criminal infractions against Obiora Ezeakabekwe, the reason she was wanted in Onitsha as ordered by the Abuja office of the FID.
Though they were said to have expressed willingness to stop proceedings against the widow and pay her 10 million naira for Livelihood support if she renounces support for legal action and ownership of her late husband’s property, the NGO petition to the IGP further alleged that to forcibly take over the widow’s late husband’s landed property situated at Trans-Nkisi Onitsha, the said Dr. Nzeh and others had falsified documents; declaring Mrs. Nwagbo dead, and presenting themselves as executors of the estate of her late husband, Clement, who died in 2002.
Meanwhile, a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Onitsha, Anambra State, has granted bail to the sum of five hundred thousand naira to the 54-year-old widow and mother of a girl child, who is currently facing trial for allegedly conspiring with others to break into a building with the intent to commit a felony, among other 5-count charges.
With the Inspector General of Police as complainant, Mrs Nwagbo, alongside her brother-in-law, Michael Nwagbo, aged 45, and others now at large, are accused of conspiring among themselves sometime in 2020 at Onitsha.
Among other charges brought against the defendants were that they criminally and unlawfully broke into the fence housing Plot No 288 Trans-Nkisi Layout Onitsha said to be the property of one Mr. Obiora Ezeakabekwe, and chased away his workers who were working on the land and thereby committed an offense punishable under section 381 of the Criminal Code Law CAP 36 Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
The defendants are also accused of giving false information to the police by denying knowledge of the existence of the said plot of land and their involvement in any transaction relating to the land, an offense punishable under section 154(1) of the Criminal Gode Law, CAP 36 Revised Laws of Anambra State 1991.
Addressing journalists after the court proceedings presided over by Justice U.B Okoye granted the defendants bail and adjourned the case to 22nd October for the continuation of trial, an Owerri-based lawyer and leader of the defense team, Sylvia Iwejor, said their widow client was arrested and detained on trumped-up charges, adding that the bail conditions for her and co-defendant were very severe.
On her part, the Convener of Ônurube, Ezihe, explained that without a frantic search at police facilities that led to her being found in police custody in Imo, Mrs Nwagbo would have been brought to the Onitsha court in kangaroo style for continued detention.
