Two women identified as Felicia Nwosu and Chinenye Nwosu, from Ndiowu, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State have been brought before the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka for forcefully taking into custody, two underage children of a widow, Sharon Nwosu.
The culprits said to be mother-in-law and sister-in-law of the widow, reportedly took the widow’s children after her husband’s death while accusing her of killing her deceased husband.
A relative of the deceased who confirmed the development to journalists on Saturday said they were arrested after the widow complained to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare on Friday.
Narrating her ordeal, Sharon, who hails from Enubom Ndiowu, Orumba Local Government Area, said trouble started between her and her in-laws after she refused to hand over her late husband’s laptop and telephone to the junior brother, who demanded to take possession of the said properties.
She said, “After forcefully taking custody of my two children and accusing me of killing my husband, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law asked me to hand over my late husband’s laptop and telephone to his junior brother who demanded to take possession of the said properties.
“I was shocked that such a request was made a few days after my late husband’s demise. They asked me to hand over the laptop so that the junior brother could take over the contract my late husband who was an architect, had just secured warning me not to tell anyone.
“I was still dealing with her husband’s demise only to find out that my mother had also died the same day I lost my husband.
“The worst of the situation was days before they took my children, they consistently told my kids that I was responsible for their father’s death and they broke into my room after my husband’s funeral to cart away all the money sympathisers gave to me.”
Responding, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, expressed her displeasure over the development and assured the widow of recovering her children from her in-laws.
Obinabo, therefore called on everyone to always give widows breathing space to mourn their loved ones instead of creating more problems for them.
The alleged culprits were later served a letter mandating them to appear before the ministry on Tuesday with all the parties involved in the case for further investigation.
