Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
A widow Mrs Dorothy Onwudirimba, has cried for help following the forceful ejection of her family from her husband's compound by her step-son Nze Jerome Okonkwo.
The 75 year old widow who hail Umuntumogu in Okwuohia Obowo Local Government Area of Imo state, is currently homeless together with her children and grandchildren while the roof of her house was completely removed and their properties thrown outside.
It was gathered that her step-son had obtained a judgement from a Magistrate Court in the area to carry out the action, without her knowledge.
Narrating her ordeal, the mother of five who explained that she bought the land where the building was erected, said two carpenters accompanied by some police officers came into her compound and forcefully started removing the roof of her house to her amazement on Tuesday last week.
She said, "Last Tuesday I was at home when the carpenters and police officers armed with guns drove into our compound and started removing the roof of my house.
"I was amazed and started asking them why they were removing my roof, but they didn't answer me until they finished removing it.
"I was legitimately married and I bought this land with my money and built this house after the death of my husband everyone in this community is aware of what I'm saying.
"When the Police left our compund one of my step - grand son who is Chinomnso by name entered the house and started throwing my property away. I and my children lost a lot our personal belongings including money.
"After that, we were locked outside the house by my step son and we are now stranded in our own community, my daughter in-law who gave birth few days ago is somewhere with her baby while I'm now in someone's house.
"I have laid complaints to our kindred and they are all sad about the incident, even our King is aware of the incident. I want the Government to help me to regain my house and also ask my step-son to rebuild my house and pay me demages for all that I lost".
Collaborating her claims, Mr Wonder Amarachi, told our correspondent that it was his family that originally owned the land where the house was built and also sold it the widow, adding that the transaction was well documented.
He revealed that the land was given to Mrs Dorathy late husband's family by his fore fathers to stay temporarily, but at a point when his family wanted them to vacate the property, they pleaded to be left to remain there having lived for a long time.
According to him, after much dialogue between the two families, they came into a resolution that they should pay for the land.
"Then my uncle who was the head of my family at the time charged them the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naira, the price was brought do to one hundred and ten thousand naira.
One late Chief Mrs Obasi, paid for Nze Jerome's portion, then the window also paid for the portion where she built her house. In the document Jude Ogwuegbu, signed for my family as our elder and both the widow and her step-son were asked to stay in their portion" he said.
Also speaking, a community leader High chief Justin Obasi, condemned the ill treatment mated to the widow and her children by her step-son.
He lamented that it was unfair for a widow to be treated the way Mrs Dorothy, was treated, despite all the campaigns by the federal and state government against the maltreatment of widows.
In his words, "It's a dastardly act for someone to move the roof of a widow's house without any sympathy for her and her children and grandchildren.
"Whoever that did this will not go free before God. Even if there's a Court verdict to eject them, can't the person have sympathy for them to get another place to move to before asking them to leave. The Court might have been mislead and the people involved in the matter must have been ignorant of what happened.
"I'm aware of the story surrounding that portion of land, this issue came up when I was the chairman of this community and I used my wisdom to handle it without perverting Justice.
"When the owners of the land this family were having misunderstanding, the community came into the matter and resolve that a compensation should be given to them based on an aged long friendship between their ancestors who gave them the land to settle years ago.
"We saw to it that they paid some money as compensation to the owners of the land too and it was documented. If traditionally Jerome is the occupant of this place, he should allow his step-mother and her children and grandchildren until they get a shelter, rather than forcing them to leave.
"How can you eject a widow from her husband's house, a house they built when her step-son was not in the village, we cannot keep quiet over this, even if I will die, I won't keep quiet over this because I'm speaking the truth".
All efforts made to get Okonkwo, to speak approved abortive as he refused to open his gate for correspondent.
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