The people of Umuonanaka Village in Owubinubi, Ikeduru Local Government Area, Imo State, have strongly condemned the actions of Mr. Gilbert Ibe and his wife, Cordelia, for allegedly demolishing the house of his late brother, thereby rendering the widow (whose name has been withheld) and her four children homeless.
Reports indicate that Mr. Ibe, a former politician and current member of the Owubinubi Traditional Council, has, since 2011, when his brother (Innocent Ibe) passed away, been threatening to evict the widow from the compound.
The case was judged at the village and community levels, and the widow won all through, but Mr Gilbert Ibe would not give up.
Mr Ibe had resorted to self-help by allegedly hiring thugs to demolish the widow’s house in the middle of the night and looting her belongings. The widow and her children live in Port Harcourt.
Photographs obtained by journalists show the complete destruction of the house where the widow had lived peacefully with her husband until his passing.
In an interview with journalists, the distraught widow called for justice, lamenting that her late husband’s brother had taken advantage of her vulnerability to violate her rights. She accused Mr. Ibe of subjecting her and her children to inhumane treatment since her husband’s death.
According to the widow, “He has no right whatsoever to deny me access to my husband’s property, let alone demolish the house,” she said tearfully.
“There was even a day he locked the family gate and swore I would never enter again. I lived peacefully with my husband in this house until his death, after which his brother began his campaign of wickedness against me and my children.”
She appealed to other extended family members, concerned individuals, civil society organisations, and the Imo State Government to intervene and ensure justice is served.
Some family members who also spoke to journalists corroborated the widow’s claims, describing Mr. Ibe’s actions as callous, abominable, and heartless. They want the Traditional Ruler to expel Mr Ibe from the Eze’s Cabinet, and the Anglican Church to strip him of the knighthood. They expressed disappointment that he had ignored all efforts made by the extended family to resolve the issue amicably.
Efforts to get Mr. Gilbert Ibe’s side of the story were unsuccessful, as he declined to comment on the matter.
The widow could be reached on 08063526357