… court grants defendant bail, adjourns to 22nd October
Ônurube, a non governmental organization, NGO, based in the 5 Southeast states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, and with special focus on gender-based violence, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over alleged deprivation of right of inheritance, perpetuating harmful widowhood practices, harmful traditional practices and fundamental rights abuse of Mrs Perpetua (Oparaocha) Nwagbo by the Federal Investigation Department (FID) Abuja, and State Investigation Department (SID) units of the Nigerian Police, as well as one Dr Charles Nzeh.
The group in the petition dated 14th September 2024 and signed by the Convener, Marjorie Ngozi Ezihe, among other things, called on the IGP to engage actions to bring to justice all those in the corridor of justice who have enabled the continued marginalization, traumatization and sustained abuse of a vulnerable widow and members of her extended family.
The group also wants the IGP to cause the incessant harassment of Mrs Nwagbo and her husband’s family by persons using the police in zones 9 Umuahia and 13 Ukpo to stop; as proceedings on the matters are before courts of competent jurisdiction, and to engage mechanism to bring officers and men of the mentioned police units found culpable in the criminal violation of the widow’s rights to justice.
It was gathered from the petition that Mrs Nwagbo, from Umunachi village of Osuama autonomous community in Isiala Mbano Local Government area of Imo State, was “abducted” from her shop in the state on Friday September 13th 2024 by men purportedly of the Police from the SID, and in the absence of definite unit information, the NGO reached the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, who assisted in locating the widow.
The petition to the IGP also explained that when Mrs Nwagbo was later found seated in a police facility in Imo, she was looking pale, mute and withdrawn, and a man seated beside her who introduced himself as Dr Charles Nzeh persisted in responding to questions posed at Perpetua on why she was brought in the police facility.
According to the NGO, the said man, Dr Nzeh, claimed to be representing “a brother”, the Obiora Ezeakabekwe, who is second respondent in a case instituted by the window and her late husband’s family, adding that the Dr Nzeh alledged Mrs Nwagbo’s culpability in criminal infractions against the Obiora Ezeakabekwe, reason she was wanted in Onitsha as ordered by the Abuja office of the FID.
Though the were said to have expressed willingness to stop proceedings against the widow and pay her 10 million naira for Iivelihood support if she renounces support for legal action and ownership of her late husband’s property, the NGO petition to the IGP further alleged that to forcibly take over the widow’s late husband’s landed property situated at Trans-Nkisi Onitsha, the said Dr Nzeh and others had falsified documents; declaring Mrs Nwagbo dead, and presenting themselves as executors of the estate of her late husband, Clement, who died in 2002.
Trial In Court:
Meanwhile, a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Onitsha, Anambra State, has granted bail to the sum of five hundred thousand naira to the 54-year old widow and mother of a girl child; who is currently facing trial for allegedly conspiring with others to break into a building with intent to commit felony, among other 5-count charges.
With the Inspector General of Police as complainant, Mrs Nwagbo, alongside her brother-in-law, Michael Nwagbo, aged 45, and others now at large are accused of conspiring among themselves sometime in 2020 at Onitsha, within Onitsha Magisterial District, to break into the said building with intent to commit felony, offence punishable under section 495(b) of the Criminal Code Law, CAP 36 Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
Among other charges brought against the defendants are that they criminally and unlawfully broke into the fence housing Plot No 288 Trans-Nkisi Layout Onitsha, said to be property of one Mr Obiora Ezeakabekwe, and chased away his workers who were working on the land, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 381 of the Criminal Code Law CAP 36 Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
The defendants are also accused of giving false information to the police by denying knowledge of the existence of the said plot of land, as well as their involvernent in any transaction relating to the land, offence punishable under section 154(1) of the Criminal Gode Law, CAP 36 Revised Laws of Anambra State 1991.
Speaking to newsmen after the court presided over by Justice U.B Okoye granted the defendants bail and adjourned the case to 22nd October for continuation of trial, an Owerri-based lawyer and leader of the defense team, Sylvia Iwejor, said their widow client was arrested and detained on trumped-up charges, adding that the bail conditions for her and co-defendant were very severe.
On her part, the Convener of Ônurube, an NGO based in the 5 Southeast states of Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, and with special focus on gender-based violence, Ezihe, explained that without frantic search at police facilities that led to her being found in police custody in Imo, Mrs Nwagbo would have been brought to the Onitsha court in kangaroo style for continued detention.
While G.T Nev appeared for the complainant, IGP, Donald Nwodom, Faith Obisike, Ikechukwu Chuke; from National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, and Mmesoma Oli; from International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, appeared for the defendants.