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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Late Madam Bridget Nweke of Azu-Ose, Ndeguazu Umuoghara in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, saw it all while alive. Her crime was not bearing any child in her many marriages.
She saw hell on earth, passed through untold hardship before public spirited individuals discovered her in 2023 and started taking care of her till she died a month ago and was given a befitting burial by the individuals.
The centenarian married up to different men in different places but could not stay with any of the men because she could not bear a child for any of them. She would either be divorced or bullied out of their houses.
The first and last time she conceived was the time she married a man from Oriuzor in Ezza North local government. When it was time to put to bed, she engaged a traditional birth attendant who killed the baby, trying to pull the baby boy out of her womb.
She left her last husband in Ehamufu in 2012 for her father’s compound due to the same story of childlessness as she was subjected to rough handling by the man. At her father’s place in Azuose, Ndiaguazu Umuoghara in Ezza North local government area of the state, she faced the darkest place in the world.
Her kinsmen, who would have been her succour-givers, became thorns in her flesh, maltreating her without restraint. The climax of her maltreatment by her kinsmen, was her being taken to a makeshift hut that served as kitchen. She was sleeping on bare floor in her father’s house before she was moved to the makeshift hut.
The kitchen which was built with zinc was an eyesore because of its deplorable condition. It was leaking heavily whenever it rained.
Chickens lived with her in the kitchen. She was sleeping on a wooden bed inside the kitchen constructed years ago by a public spirited individual in the community, who saw her sleeping on the bare floor in the kitchen kitchen when he was passing in front of the makeshift.
The woman was doing everything by herself, including fetching of firewood, cooking and general domestic chores despite her old age. Daily Sun interacted with her before her demise and she said that according to the tradition of her clan, one must return to his or her father’s compound in old age so that the person will reincarnate and return to the father’s house after death. According to her, that was why she returned to her father’s place after marrying many husbands without a child.
Madam Bridget drank from a pond in the community, which serves as the major source of water for the people of the community . She used to go to the pond known as Okpuru Iyionu to fetch water by herself despite her old age.
She told told our correspondent during the interaction that she was never sick and can’t remember the last time she took medicine for any sickness.
“I have been drinking this Okpuru Iyionu water. I drink it, use it to cook by myself and use it to wash things by myself. You saw when I was washing the mortar I used and cooked when you came into this my hut where I cook, sleep and stay.
“I have never fallen sick since I started drinking Iyionu pond over 10 years ago. I have not fallen sick and I have never taken any drug for many years as you see me like this,” she stated.
Narrating her ordeal as a childless widow, she said: “I was born in this community. I got married in Oriuzor, Ezza North local government area and that was my first marriage and that was the first time I conceived but the woman who assisted them to give birth killed the baby while trying to assist during labour. The woman killed the child in my womb and since that time, I have never conceived again.
“When the man I married in that Oriuzor died, his relatives sent me parking because I had no child. I left the place and got married to another man in Ehamufu, Enugu State. While in Ehamufu, I couldn’t conceive to the man that I got married to and it became a very serious issue.
“I took a decision and returned to my father’s place which is where I am currently living. While I decided to return to where I was born which is my father’s place is that where one was born is where such a person will reincarnate. I have been living here for many years.
“I was sleeping on the bare floor when I return to my father’s place. I slept on the bare floor for years. I have no brother, sister. All my brothers and sisters are no more alive. It is only my nieces and nephews that are alive now. When they built this kitchen that I am living, they divided it into two and brought me into one side of it and told me to be sleeping here.
“They started cooking in one side of the kitchen and have been cooking inside it. Smokes from the side they cook has been disturbing me coupled with sun that has also been disturbing me from the roof of this entire kitchen.
“Whenever it rains, I am always in trouble because the entire structure is leaking and everywhere is always filled with water. I was also sleeping on a bare floor in this kitchen until a young boy cut tree in the bush and constructed this bed I am sitting now. It is this wooden bed that I have been sleeping on since.
“Things have been very difficult for me; life has been generally tough for me. I depend on little donations by some public spirited individuals and our church here for survival. My nephew and nieces don’t give me food, I give money to people to buy cook fufu for me in the market. I then prepare soup and eat it. As you can see, I am preparing soup now to use and eat the fufu. I gave someone money to buy it for me in Eke Imoha, Onueke. I must cook before I will eat and it has always been like that for long.”
Madam Bridget, who was always happy, jovial and very friendly despite her pathetic condition, noted that her condition didn’t weigh her down.
“It is even now that I am too old that I do things by myself. I cook by myself, wash clothes, plates by my self and do general domestic chores by myself. Nobody does all these for me, I do all of them
“These firewood you are seeing inside this place I live, I fetch them. I fetched these firewood in front of this kitchen by myself. The only thing I can’t do now is going to Iyionu stream to fetch water and carry it home because of my old age. I do other things by myself.”
Madam Bridget’s condition caught the attention of some public spirited individuals, including a social crusader, Polycarp Obinna Alegu, who attracted a good shelter to her last year through a lawmaker, Kenechukwu Oke representing Ezza West constituency in the state House of Assembly. He built a house for her where she lived until she passed away early last month. The house was well furnished by the lawmaker.
The woman was not sick before she died. She slept in the night after eating and saying her normal prayers and didn’t wake up the next day.
Before her demise, some other spirited individuals, including CSP Nkiruka Nwode, a policewoman, cared for her by providing foods, clothes, beverages and getting a caregiver that was bating and taking care of her after Polycarp Obinna AAlegu drew attention of the general public to the pathetic condition of the woman.
On July 25, 2025, her remains were committed to mother earth. She was given a befitting burial by the public spirited individuals and her church in the community.
One of the stakeholders of the community, Emeka Nwonu who also cared for her when she was alive, described her as a strong woman. He commended Nwode whose magnanimity to indigent persons laid the foundation for the discovery of the late widow, Polycarp Obinna Alegu who gave him about three chances during the distribution of 2023 Christmas items from CSP Nwode, Hon Kenechukwu Oke, who assumed sonship position of the childless woman and stood for her from the day her pathetic condition became public. He commended him for building a befitting shelter for the woman.
Polycarp Obinna Alegu said late Madam Bridget Nweke was given a befitting burial despite her childlessness and commended Nwode for being used by him to discover the late indigent widow.
He disclosed that he discovered the late widow when Nwode gave him foodstuffs, food, wrapper and cash to reach out to the indigent ones during the 2023 Christmas celebration from where he picked up the woman’s case till death.
He also commended Oke who saw his post on his social media handle about the woman and came to her aid by raising a building for her and also visited her often with foodstuffs, clothes and cash.
“He took care of everything about Mama’s burial. Live band and DJ were there both at the wake and burial day. Feeding and entertainment of guests were all done by him. Mortuary bills, casket, ambulance and drinks were all paid for by him. In fact, he gave mama a befitting burial.
“Thanks to my friend, Emeka Nwoñu. He was the one who first took me to mama. Emeka was there for mama till death. He visited her often. When mama was sick, Emeka paid for her treatment.
“The day Mama died, I took mama to mortuary but Emeka was the one who paid for the ambulance that carried her. Emeka was calling often to make proper arrangements for the burial. Yesterday, he did his best and came with drinks.
“I’m grateful to the Catholic Church who buried mama. The officiating priest, Mary League, women wing, men and entire church members came en masse to bid mama farewell. The church also used to visit her when alive. May God bless them, he said.
