Save me from my husband’s siblings, widow cries out

In an interview with Sunday Trust in Enugu, Mrs. Okeke, 33, who lost her husband recently, revealed that she was born to a Nigerian father from Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State by a Russian mother. Both parents currently live in the United Kingdom, according to her.  She is a mother of […]

In an interview with Sunday Trust in Enugu, Mrs. Okeke, 33, who lost her husband recently, revealed that she was born to a Nigerian father from Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State by a Russian mother. Both parents currently live in the United Kingdom, according to her.  She is a mother of two girls – Samanta Nnenne Okeke, 2, and Hazel Nkem Okeke, 8.  
Disclosing that her father, Dr. Eugene Obisike Nwankwo, who is now in his 80s, was the chief medical director, Aba Health Centre, Chioma said she fell in love with a US-based businessman, Mr. Chukwudi Emmanuel Okeke, a native of Njikoka in Anambra State.
She further revealed that the late Mr. Okeke had lived in America for 35 years. During those years, life was difficult for her and her husband. They, however, made a financial breakthrough this year.  
“It is only this year that we made some money,” she said, adding that sadly, her husband, ‘Chuky,’ as she fondly called him, did not live to enjoy the gains of their labour. She further said that before his sudden demise, Mr. Okeke ensured that members of his family were properly established financially so as to reduce pressure on him and his wife.  
“We were actually getting tired of demands from his brothers and sisters. Just before he died, he gave each member of his family (they are eight) N5million. We gave the first sister a Toyota Camry car in addition to N5million cash. He went further to build three bungalows for him and his brothers. He was also renovating their family house before his sudden death. And he did not have anything when I met him about eight years ago. “We made concerted efforts to make life better for the family, but they are still not happy. They have always been against him. They are still fighting for only-God-knows-what.
“The last time we went home for burial, his two sisters – Ijeoma and Pauline chose to stay under the rain. The whole villagers saw it; that’s why they have a problem now in the village,” Mrs. Okeke alleged.

Asked why her husband’s siblings always fought against him despite all he did for them, she said their actions smacked of mere jealousy, adding that they were against her relationship with their brother because they saw her as an Oyibo lady who was too exposed, enlightened and smart for them.
  “It was so weird. I thought they would be happy that their brother married an enlightened wife, but they wanted the opposite. So he fully kept them away from me. But they kept coming; hence the relationship was always sore,” she said.  
According to her, it was this frosty relationship that made some of the family members to stay away from their wedding at the Magistrate’s Court, Ikoyi, Lagos on June 25, 2014.
Recalling how her husband died, Mrs. Okeke disclosed that on September 26, 2014, Chukwudi reportedly took ill after attending the traditional and white wedding ceremonies of his sister’s daughter in Ogidi, Anambra State and Enugu respectively.
“He took ill immediately after the wedding, and it continued till he was taken to the hospital. I came to Enugu from Lagos on October 6, 2014 because my husband was reported ill. Subsequently, I drove to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, where he was admitted. I was there till he finally gave up on his birthday, October 8,’’ the young widow lamented.  
It was gathered that more trouble ensued when her husband’s siblings discovered that his wife was the next-of-kin on his medical file. Our reporter was informed that trouble began at UNTH where relatives of the deceased spent over eight hours arguing on who should be the right next-of-kin, even when their brother’s corpse was yet to be deposited in the mortuary.  Subsequently, she was allegedly denied access to some of her husband’s personal belongings at his GRA, Enugu residence.  
“My husband’s corpse was lying in front of the mortuary while the argument lasted,” she recalled amidst tears.
At last, according to Mrs. Okeke, the matron’s argument was superior to theirs and they reluctantly agreed to claim the remains of their brother with a letter of authorisation from her as instructed by the hospital.
However, that was not the end of the matter, as according to her, she was later confronted at their GRA residence, where she was harassed and variously threatened. “They have taken most of his belongings. They should allow me to bury my husband in peace. That is what matters to me now, not property. Right now, I’m worried. My kids have lost their father. It is very sad.  They should allow me to mourn my husband,’’ Mrs. Okeke appealed.