From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Tongues are wagging in the sleepy town of Afikpo, Ebonyi State, where a man living overseas (name withheld) is alleged to have demolished a building occupied by two aged widows, Mrs Ogeri Agbi and Mrs Margret Agbi.
The building located at Ezi Agbi, Ukpa community of Afikpo, was allegedly an inheritance of their deceased husband, Agwu Okwa and his brother, Okwa Agbi. The alleged man is the latter’s son.
But the women had raised the alarm over alleged plan by their late husband’s nephew to sack them from their husband’s home in the guise of putting up a new and more befitting structure on the land. They alleged that the man, a nephew, in collaboration with his brothers, hired hoodlums and demolished their house, thereby rendering them homeless while destroying their household property worth millions of naira.
According to them, the family house was sometime ago shared into two by the community, with them occupying one section and their late husband’s brother’s family, including the nephew, having the other.
They alleged that the nephew had earlier asked them to quit the building, claiming ownership and his plans to demolish it and erect a new one in its place. They wondered why would the nephew encroach into their abode to wreak such havoc, calling on the government and good-spirited individuals to come to their aide.
Ogeri, said: “Our husband died some years ago. It was his brother’s son that came and destroyed the only house where we are living
“They gave us notice to pack out. We have been living peacefully in this compound until when they came and told us that they wanted to rebuild their own side of the building and later migrated to our own side and demolished it.
“This thing happened on July 26, 2022. My husband, Agwu Agbi, owned this building. My late husband and his brother inherited this building from their mother and it was divided for both of them to live.
“The issue we had with them in the past was settled by Ukpa Community when they divided the compound into two. One side was given to my husband, while his elder brother had the other. And we had no issue recently that could warrant this type of wickedness.”
Her counterpart, Margaret, lamented: “They destroyed the building, including the properties inside the house. All our cushions, chairs, bed, fan, television, lamp, kitchen utensils, my wrappers and other things were all destroyed.
“I want government to come to our rescue. You can see how we are struggling to earn a living.”
Son to one of the women, Anelechi, explained how one of their relations, Hart Okwah, allegedly led some boys procured by his cousin on July 18, 2022, to demolish the building. But they were prevented, following an alarm raised by a commercial motorcyclist: “They ran away, but on July 26, those boys came again with all manner of weapons including machete, axe and gun. They succeeded in demolishing a part of the building, they didn’t spare the fence and the properties inside it.”
Daily Sun visited to the community and spoke with Hart Okwah. He denied leading hoodlums and debunked the allegation of wilful destruction. He explained that the women had since 2019 been informed of plan to rebuild the mud house by the children of their late husband’s brother.
Okwah, a retired principal, said he is not the eldest in the family, saying that the eldest, David Okwa Agbi, resides in Enugu. He claimed that the land was actually given to the late Okwa Agbi “by virtue of his wife.” He wondered how his brother, Agwu Agbi, could have had a stake in his brother’s property when it neither came through their father nor mother.
He argued that since the land was given because of Okwa Agbi’s wife, the inheritance should naturally go to the woman’s children because “it was for their mother’s sake that the land was donated to their father.
“Agwu Agbi, also known as Agwu Elechi, had six wives but did not build a house. It was out of love that his brother allowed his family to occupy the place.
“The children of the widows are all grown and have families of their own. I am surprised that they have not been able to build houses for their mothers.
“The impression being created out there is that these two widows were being maltreated and intimidated. No! That’s not the case. It wasn’t destruction of building. Rather, the building was pulled down for a new one to come up. And these people were duly notified.
“Besides, one of these women have full grown men with families. They should build house for their mother and allow their nephew rebuild his father’s house.”
It was gathered that the parties were yet to report the matter to the Esaa Ehugbo, the highest adjudicatory body in Afikpo land. The body was on break in obeisance to the forthcoming New Yam festival (Ikeji Ehugbo).
Okwah promised that they would take the case to Esaa Ehugbo after the feast.