How we were attacked by our in-laws in Anambra— Septugenarian
Spokesman speaks Chief Ekwualor, the spokesman of the family who regretted the turn of events said: “It is outrageous, malicious and annoying for our in-laws in Ohuhu-Ubaha village, Abia state, who killed their in-law’s cousin in retaliation of the death of their daughter who died of ailment suspected to be kidney problem, to spread falsehood. Our in-law knew they were only whipping up sentiments in a case which the police has since commenced investigation. They were simply running away from being interrogated on how they killed Emmanuel Mbanefo Eziolise, the cousin of their son’s in-law”. The genesis Giving a vivid account of what transpired during the burial ceremony, Chief Ekwualor stated: “Our community, Umueze-Anam, witnessed the most gruesome murder of our son, Emmanuel Mbanefo Eziolise, by the Ohuhu in-laws in Ubaha village in Umuahia, Abia state on January 23rd, 2016. In 2007, Fidelis Ofozor married Late Gloria Amaka Ofozor (nee Okorie) from Ohuhun-Ubaha village in Umuahia legitimately. In 2010, his wife took ill and the initial diagnosis showed kidney ailment which took them from one hospital to another for treatment. When there was no improvement, his in-laws started suspecting spiritual attacks by witches and wizards from her husband’s family as being responsible for their daughter’s worsening health challenges. With this impression, they came to Port-Harcourt where the couple was living and took their daughter away to a spiritual church in the same city for cure. The husband could not resist them but advised his wife to ensure that she returned home in the evening of that day to continue her medication. While leaving their compound, his wife had only a minor swollen feet. Ghost of her self “Unfortunately, she failed to come home that day and when the husband called her on phone, it was switched off. One week later, he received her call but her voice was too faint and he could hardly hear what she was saying. He could only hear her saying, “Honey, come and see me.” When the husband traced the spiritual church, he could not believe his eyes. It was a dilapidated church building and his wife had drastically changed colour. When he wanted to take her to the nearest hospital, his mother in-law bluntly refused saying they must see the end of the sickness there. The lady died “It was around 2am that the assistant pastor of the church called her husband to come immediately to the church to take his wife to the hospital because, for the past three days, she had not eaten anything. It was at this stage that the family of his wife allowed him to take her to the hospital but, it was too late as she gave up the ghost at the hospital gate on the 23rd of December, 2015 in the presence of both her father and mother. After her death, the husband was seriously warned by his in-laws not to tell anyone especially from their area in Umuahia that his late wife was taken to a healing home before her death. New twist The story took a different dimension when, suddenly, our in-laws started accusing the husband of their daughter of killing her threatening that by their tradition, they must retaliate. When there seemed to be a little respite, the burial was fixed for 23rd January at Umueze-Anam. On that day when the woman was to be laid to rest, many of our in-laws from Umuahia loaded in one bus arrived at the burial arena and started quarrelling over canopy, saying they would not share it with anybody. When that was settled, they started complaining that the burial site was not befitting to their daughter. I tried to calm frayed nerves but it was all in vain. One of them identified as Christopher and the elder brother to the deceased was particularly uncontrollable. At a point he even tried to force open the coffin but he was overpowered by his family members. At a stage, the mother of the deceased started raining curses on all of us accusing us of being responsible for her daughter’s death. Mourners including those that even came from Port-Harcourt where the couple lives were not happy with the attitude of our in-laws from Umuahia. Mayhem unleashed “As they were being cautioned, the same Christopher called the occupants of their bus filled with hefty young men numbering about 20 and fully armed with dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, axes, broken bottles etc, hidden inside the bus to disembark. Hell was then let lose as they started destroying all the property they could see in the house of their in-law, threatening to kil him in retaliation. When one of their in-law’s cousin, Emmanuel Mbanefo Eziolise, wanted to intervene, he was instantly clubbed to death by these hoodlums. Escape from community “Immediately they noticed the gruesome murder of this young man, they entered the same bus and escaped leaving Emmanuel in a pool of blood, while the whole place was deserted, even the grave was left half filled. Some of the young men who came with them also attacked our people. While this was going on, our people also reacted in self defence. Three of our in-laws who attacked unsuspecting villagers were later taken to the clinic in Umu-eze Anam. Two of them were identified as Seth David Okorie and Christopher David Okorie. They were taken to the clinic by members of our vigilante group before we invited the police. All the wounded persons from both sides were also taken to the main branch of the hospital in Otuocha after they have been given first aid by the combined efforts of Umueze-Anam community and members of the vigilante group. I would like to emphasis that none of our in-laws died in our community during the fracas that ensued. Those who were wounded by our people in self defence were rushed to the hospital and treated. Incarceration “Later, our son, the husband of the deceased woman and his uncle were invited by the police at Awka, the state capital. But our in-laws from Umuahia resisted several invitations from the police in Awka. They, rather, wrote a fictitious petition to Zone 9, Umuahia where they believe they will have influence and this led to the arrest of our son, Fidelis and his uncle and up till now, they are still in detention at Abuja. Severally, our people were openly attacked at Zone 9, Umuahia by our in-laws who vowed that nobody would take them on bail from the Zone and go scot-free. Double tragedy “Presently, our son, Fidelis has suffered double tragedy. Not did he lose his dear wife, his cousin was also murdered in cold blood by his in-laws. Now, he has been in detention for more than one month. It is therefore unjust to arrest the bereaved whose wife and cousin were murdered while the murderers are walking freely.”
Following condemnations that trailed the alleged killing of two young men by their in-laws at Umueze-Anam in Anambra state during the burial ceremony of their sister, last January, an uncle to the husband of the deceased woman, Chief Young Ekwualor, has reacted alleging that their in-laws from Umuahia attacked members of their community during the burial. In an emotion-laden voice, the octogenarian spokesman of the husband’s family told Crime Guard that it was shocking that their in-laws from Umuahia in Abia state who perpetrated the atrocities during the sad event twisted the facts of the story when they were the real culprits.
Spokesman speaks Chief Ekwualor, the spokesman of the family who regretted the turn of events said: “It is outrageous, malicious and annoying for our in-laws in Ohuhu-Ubaha village, Abia state, who killed their in-law’s cousin in retaliation of the death of their daughter who died of ailment suspected to be kidney problem, to spread falsehood. Our in-law knew they were only whipping up sentiments in a case which the police has since commenced investigation. They were simply running away from being interrogated on how they killed Emmanuel Mbanefo Eziolise, the cousin of their son’s in-law”. The genesis Giving a vivid account of what transpired during the burial ceremony, Chief Ekwualor stated: “Our community, Umueze-Anam, witnessed the most gruesome murder of our son, Emmanuel Mbanefo Eziolise, by the Ohuhu in-laws in Ubaha village in Umuahia, Abia state on January 23rd, 2016. In 2007, Fidelis Ofozor married Late Gloria Amaka Ofozor (nee Okorie) from Ohuhun-Ubaha village in Umuahia legitimately. In 2010, his wife took ill and the initial diagnosis showed kidney ailment which took them from one hospital to another for treatment. When there was no improvement, his in-laws started suspecting spiritual attacks by witches and wizards from her husband’s family as being responsible for their daughter’s worsening health challenges. With this impression, they came to Port-Harcourt where the couple was living and took their daughter away to a spiritual church in the same city for cure. The husband could not resist them but advised his wife to ensure that she returned home in the evening of that day to continue her medication. While leaving their compound, his wife had only a minor swollen feet. Ghost of her self “Unfortunately, she failed to come home that day and when the husband called her on phone, it was switched off. One week later, he received her call but her voice was too faint and he could hardly hear what she was saying. He could only hear her saying, “Honey, come and see me.” When the husband traced the spiritual church, he could not believe his eyes. It was a dilapidated church building and his wife had drastically changed colour. When he wanted to take her to the nearest hospital, his mother in-law bluntly refused saying they must see the end of the sickness there. The lady died “It was around 2am that the assistant pastor of the church called her husband to come immediately to the church to take his wife to the hospital because, for the past three days, she had not eaten anything. It was at this stage that the family of his wife allowed him to take her to the hospital but, it was too late as she gave up the ghost at the hospital gate on the 23rd of December, 2015 in the presence of both her father and mother. After her death, the husband was seriously warned by his in-laws not to tell anyone especially from their area in Umuahia that his late wife was taken to a healing home before her death. New twist The story took a different dimension when, suddenly, our in-laws started accusing the husband of their daughter of killing her threatening that by their tradition, they must retaliate. When there seemed to be a little respite, the burial was fixed for 23rd January at Umueze-Anam. On that day when the woman was to be laid to rest, many of our in-laws from Umuahia loaded in one bus arrived at the burial arena and started quarrelling over canopy, saying they would not share it with anybody. When that was settled, they started complaining that the burial site was not befitting to their daughter. I tried to calm frayed nerves but it was all in vain. One of them identified as Christopher and the elder brother to the deceased was particularly uncontrollable. At a point he even tried to force open the coffin but he was overpowered by his family members. At a stage, the mother of the deceased started raining curses on all of us accusing us of being responsible for her daughter’s death. Mourners including those that even came from Port-Harcourt where the couple lives were not happy with the attitude of our in-laws from Umuahia. Mayhem unleashed “As they were being cautioned, the same Christopher called the occupants of their bus filled with hefty young men numbering about 20 and fully armed with dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, axes, broken bottles etc, hidden inside the bus to disembark. Hell was then let lose as they started destroying all the property they could see in the house of their in-law, threatening to kil him in retaliation. When one of their in-law’s cousin, Emmanuel Mbanefo Eziolise, wanted to intervene, he was instantly clubbed to death by these hoodlums. Escape from community “Immediately they noticed the gruesome murder of this young man, they entered the same bus and escaped leaving Emmanuel in a pool of blood, while the whole place was deserted, even the grave was left half filled. Some of the young men who came with them also attacked our people. While this was going on, our people also reacted in self defence. Three of our in-laws who attacked unsuspecting villagers were later taken to the clinic in Umu-eze Anam. Two of them were identified as Seth David Okorie and Christopher David Okorie. They were taken to the clinic by members of our vigilante group before we invited the police. All the wounded persons from both sides were also taken to the main branch of the hospital in Otuocha after they have been given first aid by the combined efforts of Umueze-Anam community and members of the vigilante group. I would like to emphasis that none of our in-laws died in our community during the fracas that ensued. Those who were wounded by our people in self defence were rushed to the hospital and treated. Incarceration “Later, our son, the husband of the deceased woman and his uncle were invited by the police at Awka, the state capital. But our in-laws from Umuahia resisted several invitations from the police in Awka. They, rather, wrote a fictitious petition to Zone 9, Umuahia where they believe they will have influence and this led to the arrest of our son, Fidelis and his uncle and up till now, they are still in detention at Abuja. Severally, our people were openly attacked at Zone 9, Umuahia by our in-laws who vowed that nobody would take them on bail from the Zone and go scot-free. Double tragedy “Presently, our son, Fidelis has suffered double tragedy. Not did he lose his dear wife, his cousin was also murdered in cold blood by his in-laws. Now, he has been in detention for more than one month. It is therefore unjust to arrest the bereaved whose wife and cousin were murdered while the murderers are walking freely.”
