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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The High Court in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, has jailed 39 year-old-man, Chituru Mbam six months for forcefully evicting his wife, Mbam Ozoemena, from her matrimonial home and destroying the building where she was living after the eviction.
The couple wedded in 2009 and had five children. However, the marriage has been having issues for some years now which led to the eviction of the woman from the matrimonial home by the man.
In the midnight of January 6, 2026, the man allegedly invaded the house with two men and forcefully evicted her from the house after parking into a new building he completed. He subsequently arrested the wife with police and detained her at the police headquarters Abakaliki.
While in detention, Mbam allegedly destroyed the building by pulling off the roof, removing the doors, windows, and other valuables in the house.
A right group in the state, Rose foundation for the protection of women and children, through its Executive Secretary, Professor Mike Ajanwachukwu, petitioned the state Commissioner of Police over the incident, and Mbam was arrested and charged to court.
Delivering judgement on the matter, on Monday, the trial Judge, Justice Ruth Okeh, found him guilty of the offence and sentenced him to six months imprisonment without option of fine. The court also ordered the man to pay the woman N500,000 as damages. It further ordered Mbam to get her a befitting shelter.
Counsel to the woman, Mrs. Ijeoma Mike-Ajanwachukwu, hailed the judgement. She said no spouse has the right to evict a fellow spouse from a matrimonial home.
“The man committed the offence under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law of the state 2018. This law prohibits violence against couples under section 6 sub(1). It forbids a spouse to throw away another forcefully.
“The man evicted his wife from her matrimonial home and went and destroyed the house. Meanwhile, he had moved into a new building somewhere with another woman.
“He rendered this woman homeless by using even police and thugs to get the woman out of the house”, she said.
