Anambra: Young Widow Wants Justice For Dead Husband

ISAAC OJO writes that twenty eight year old Ifunnaya Onuora, who recently lost her husband, Mr Ikechukwu Onuora in an alleged mysterious circumstances has appealed to the Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, Senator representing Anambra South in red chamber of the National Assembly, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to help her get justice.

The young widow, mother of eleven months old baby girl who stormed the Authority Newspaper office in Nnewi in company of a relation said that she married her late husband on 3rd August 2019 and that she still couldn’t believe that the joy of getting married to her heartthrob has ended even before it fully began.

“We are from Isekke in Ihiala local government area of Anambra state but residing in Okija in the same council area. My husband left for Awka at about 3.00pm on 14th August 2020 to conclude a transaction he was handling for one of his friends.

“I called him by 6.00pm and he told me that he was successful but that he was still in Awka, when I called him again at 8.00pm, he said he was already in Nnewi and was about to board another vehicle that would take him to Okija.

“By 8.28pm, I sent an SMS message to him that there is no soup in the house and he called after getting the message and asked me to cook rice. That was the last I heard from my husband. When I felt he should be home, I called again but his phone was switched off.

“I became anxious and kept calling, at 10.00pm, someone picked my call and demanded to know who I was to the owner of the phone and I told him that he is my husband, he then told me that my husband has been arrested by policemen at Okija Police Station and that I should come with my relations the following morning to bail him.” Mrs Onuora explained.

The young widow who said that she just concluded her degree program at Madonna University, Elele Campus where she bagged Optometrist said that she called her brother in-law to go with her to the police station to secure the release of her husband.

She pointed out that the officers at Okija Police Station began to dilly dally and at the end of what looked like an eternity, they told me that my husband who I was told was in their custody has died.

“I had to rush to Isekke to bring other relatives and we were taken to a mortician where my husband was already embalmed without any autopsy. So we reported the matter to Police Area Command, Ihiala.

“The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of the command when he saw me recognized me because my husband has been having issues with another tenant who was not paying her levies and dues and threatened to kill my husband when her utilities were disconnected.

“The ACP asked after my husband and I told him that he is dead and he shouted, he asked me what happened and I explained. He later summoned the Okija Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who told him that my husband was a victim of hit and run accident.” She said.

She stated further that the Okija Police officers in their wisdom ordered the mortician to embalm her husband at 11.00 pm without allowing any of his relations to see him before embalmment.

Mrs Onuora said that the case was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Awka where policemen in Anambra State seem to covering up on what actually killed her husband.

The young widow who said she was supposed to be preparing for her mandatory NYSC program after she successfully completed her degree said all she wants is justice for her dead husband who she suspected was assassinated and that the culprits and their collaborators be brought to book.

“I came to your office so that all Nigerians will know what I am passing through and I pray those who are in the corridors of power to help me get justice.” She concluded.

Mrs Onuora was accompanied to Nnewi office of Authority Newspaper by Comrade Chris Onuchukwu a member of COMEN and a kinsman of the Onuoras.

All attempts to get the police angle of the story did not yield any positive dividend as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr Haruna Mohammed (SP) could not be reached on his cell phone.
Pix: Mrs Onuora, her daughter and Comrade Onuchukwu