Stephen Ukandu, News/Features Editor
There is palpable fear and tension in Ogbeke Agbani Community, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, following the alleged embargo by the traditional ruler, HRH Igwe Okechukwu Nwobodo Egbuna, on the burial of a widow, late Mrs. Elizabeth Ogbodo Egbuna.
Women’s Aid Collective, WACOL, has appealed to security agencies and relevant government agencies for intervention over the worrisome development.
According to WACOL, the deceased, Mrs. Egbuna, 80, died about three months ago but her burial slated for Thursday, April 28, 2022, is under threat by the traditional ruler’s pronouncements.
Before her death, she had a land dispute with a member of the community and a popular radio presenter in the state.
Following alleged indisposition of the said radio personality towards peace overtures by the late widow, she decided to report the matter to WACOL, which after alleged but unsuccessful efforts to resolve the matter amicably, dragged Ani to court.
The traditional ruler was said to have been angered by the action of the widow.
WACOL, in a statement by its Head of Communications Unit, Mrs. Egodi Igwe, said the embittered monarch also threatened “that anybody who attends the burial of the late widow” would pay a fine of N10, 000.
The statement made available to Ikengaonline read: “In the history of humankind, arguably the most enduring farewell message one can give to the dead is “Rest in peace (RIP).” Unfortunately, one dead person that has been fighting a battle to rest serenely was the late Mrs. Elizabeth Ogbodo Egbuna.
“Her peaceful internment is under threat because the traditional ruler of the community Ogbeke Agbani in Nkanu West LGA, HRH Igwe Okechukwu Nwobodo Egbuna has vehemently refused to allow the deceased family to bury her.”
According to the statement, the traditional ruler had accused the late widow of flouting the community’s law by reporting a member of the community to WACOL, and subsequently, taking him to court over a land matter.
WACOL expressed concern that after the widow’s family had scheduled a date for her burial, “the monarch vowed never to allow such a ceremony to happen in his kingdom,” WACOL said.
“He is perpetrating this act in connivance with members of his cabinet.
“The Igwe also barred visitors from attending the burial ceremony, adding that violators of this order would be fined N10, 000,” and should the widow’s family proceed with the funeral ceremony against his pronouncement, “they will be banished from the village.”
“It was based on this premise, that the WACOL team paid a visit to the palace of the paramount ruler on Wednesday, April 21, 2022, to ascertain the veracity of his declaration against the burial of this poor widow who died heartbroken fighting for her inheritance.
“At the traditional ruler’s palace, the WACOL team met his wife at home, but she said that her husband went for a burial ceremony. However, when the team contacted him on the phone, the Igwe said he was attending the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council meeting.
“Based on this conflicting report of the royal father and his spouse on his whereabouts, the team concluded that he was not ready to accept the ‘olive branch’ being offered to him by WACOL.
“Again, on a further telephone chat with the king, our staff appealed to him to rescind his declaration, and allow the deceased to be given the last respect. He further maintained his stand, saying that it was impossible to so do. He added that the only condition for him to do so is if the family withdraws the pending court case against the person involved in the land dispute.
“Against this backdrop, WACOL reaffirmed, that the court remains the last arbitrator and hope for the poor, and vulnerable people in the society. That it is within the fundamental human rights of every citizen, irrespective of their religion, gender, or ethnic inclination to approach the court of law for justice when their rights are threatened, as such no citizen should suffer any form of victimization or unjustifiable traditional sanctions for accessing the instrument of justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We, therefore, call on the Enugu State government, the State Ministry of Local Government, and Chieftaincy Matters under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Charles Egumgbe, as well as the Nigeria Police Force to intervene, and avert an impending breakdown of law and order in the Ogbeke-Agbani community.
“Relevant authorities should rein in HRH Igwe Okechukwu Nwobodo Egbuna to desist from his anachronistic and brutish style of leadership, and stop the further desecration of the spirit of the dead widow. He should respect the family’s wish to pay last respect to their dearly departed.
“The community should be reminded that such outdated custom is horrendous, anachronistic, bizarre, and inimical to all known rules of law, justice, and equity, which formed the tripod on which Nigerian democracy flourishes, hence, should be consigned to the dustbin of history.
“The family has invested huge resources towards arrangements for this planned burial, including purchasing all perishable goods, as well as printed materials such as posters and banners. All these would be wasted should the burial fail to hold.
“WACOL will continue to uphold its mandate which is to promote the rights of women, and girls and protect them, as well as other poor/vulnerable groups in the society from all forms of intimidation, abuse, and discrimination occasioned by obnoxious norms, and practices aimed to silence them, and stifle their spirit of survival and development.”
Continuing, WACOL said: “Late Mrs. Elizabeth Egbuna was 80 years old when she departed this mother earth three months ago. But, before her death, she fought many battles to sustain the landed properties she inherited from her late husband.
“While she was alive, Mrs. Egbuna had brought a complaint before WACOL Legal Clinic, alleging that a radio presenter encroached on her piece of land at Adauru in Ogbeke Agbani community, on the pretence of creating an access road. She noted that despite all her effort to give the said radio presenter an alternative road, he was bent on grabbing her land, leaving her with no other choice than to seek help at WACOL.
“She informed WACOL that she first reported to her kinsmen through the chairman, then later to the chairman of the Town Union of Ndigu-Ogbeke.
“According to her, the chairman frowned at the radio presenter’s behaviour. The community later resolved that he should use the access road which has been created for him by Mrs. Egbuna at the boundary of the said land, rather than dividing her land into two. But he defied the community.
“Again, the case was taken to the traditional ruler, HRH Igwe Okechukwu Nwobodo Egbuna, the traditional ruler of Ogbeke-Agbani. In his judgment, Igwe blamed the radio presenter and advised him to use the access road from the boundary instead of dividing the widow’s land into two. Yet again, he was adamant.
“To also expedite actions, Igwe further advised late Mrs. Egbuna to go the extra mile and create the road for the radio presenter at the boundary in the interest of peace. They not only accepted but also complied.
“Unfortunately, after spending funds, and time to create the road, the Radio presenter rejected it and went back to destroy the widow’s crop inside the land in question, and even expanded the access road further.
“It was when the Igwe told the widow that he could not intervene further, because the radio presenter had been adamant, and had flagrantly defied all his rulings, that the late Mrs. Egbuna was left with no other option than to seek justice at WACOL.
“Expectedly, on receiving the complaint, WACOL activated our mechanism for mediating a peaceful resolution, but the accused person blatantly refused to honour our invitation.
“When all efforts to hold a talk with him failed, WACOL was left with no other choice than to take the case to court on behalf of the family. The matter is before High Court at Agbani in suit no HAGB/7/22.
Ikengaonline gathered that WACOL legal team Wednesday, proceeded to the court at Agbani to get an ex parte order to enable the family to bury the deceased without hitches.
But when contacted, HRH Igwe Egbuna denied placing any embargo on the burial of the window who he described as his uncle’s wife.
The monarch who said he just attended a family meeting where discussions on the burial were held said he would personally attend the burial.
He said he never threatened any N10,000 fine against any of his subjects that attends the burial, blaming his detractors over the fuse about the burial.
“I’m a peace-loving monarch. I never gave any order against her burial. How could I have done that? She was my uncle’s wife.
“We just held meeting about the burial, and I will attend it myself. My enemies are spreading the false rumour against me.”
Asked if he was aware of any land dispute between the late widow and a certain radio presenter from the community, the monarch said yes, but that efforts he made to resolve the matter were not successful.
According to him, the said radio presenter had a building close the woman’s house, and when he bought a car, he needed a pathway through the window’s land to enable him to be driving his car into his compound.
He said that the widow wanted the access road to pass through the boundary, adding that he had even volunteered to sponsor the opening of the access way in the interest of peace, but regretted that the widow’s son travelled to Lagos the next day, and that arrangement was stalled.
The monarch urged members of the public to disregard any campaign of calumny against him.
