By Kamsi Anayo
Anambra State Women and Social Welfare Commissioner, Hon. Ify Obinabo has rescued a widow, Mrs Patricia Eligbue from her relatives who forced her to drink water used in washing the corpse of her husband’s nephew.
Narrating her ordeal to the Honourable Commissioner, Eligbue said she lost her husband a long time ago.
She’s from Obe Agwa, while her husband is from Atani both in Ogbaru local government area of the state.
She said that since husband’s death, she has been subjected to all kinds of abuse ranging from being called a witch and all kinds of physical abuse.
According to her, one day the husband’s siblings invaded her house where she was staying with her only child and started beating her, accusing her of being responsible for all the unfortunate things happening to them.
She said that it was after the incident that her relatives came to her aid and attempted to take her away.
However, her husband’s family refused, stating that she needs to stay till after the burial ceremony of the husband’s nephew who died.
The poor widow explained that on the day of the burial, she was summoned inside the room where they kept the dead body of one Mr Albert Godwin Ozoemina Onyeàmà.
She said that they placed a cutlass on the deceased body and asked her to walk over it four times, which she did before they washed the corpse and forced her to drink the water before pouring the remaining on her.
The widow stated that they also accused her of killing the deceased.
Reacting to the ugly incident, Hon Obinabo noted that although the alleged culprits have been arrested, she will make sure that the law takes it’s full course.
The Commissioner went further to warn everyone to desist from any form of harmful traditional practices against widows in the state as such would not be tolerated.
Upon investigation by newsmen, it was discovered that the deceased died after a brief illness at his sister’s house somewhere around Ozubulu.
Nevertheless, the alleged perpetuators denied the allegation and have been trying to conceal the act until the Women and Social Welfare Commissioner stepped into the case.
The Honourable Commissioner in collaboration with the Police has arrested the culprits and they will be arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Magistrate court in Awka.
