Chinenye Okonkwo, a 37-year-old widow from Umuodiogu, Umunakwa Ifite in Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, has appealed to the state government and relevant authorities for assistance following her eviction from her late husband’s house by her brother-in-law. The mother of five, who has faced increasing hardship since her husband’s death in 2017, spoke out about her plight.
Okonkwo revealed that her late husband’s brother has not only encroached on her late husband’s land but also used the building materials her husband had gathered for his personal projects. Despite her confrontations and the intervention of community leaders, her brother-in-law has refused to relinquish the land, leading to her and her children being forced to seek alternative living arrangements.
The situation escalated when her brother-in-law, resorting to thuggery, forcibly evicted her from her husband’s house, leaving her and her children homeless and struggling to pay for rent and school fees. In her plea, she requested Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s intervention to help her regain her property and provide a secure living situation for her family.
Francis Okafor, the Chairman of Umuodiogu kindred, condemned the actions of the brother-in-law and confirmed the community’s involvement in the matter. The brother-in-law has since been arrested, and the Anambra State Police Command’s spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that he is currently in police custody. Ikenga added that the police are concluding their investigation before the suspect’s arraignment.