The troubling situation began when her husband, Christopher, fell critically ill while in Sierra Leone and was brought back to Nigeria for treatment.
Okeke alleged that her husband’s relatives began to interfere in his medical care, accusing her of not informing them about his illness and subsequently banning her from visiting him in the hospital.
According to Okeke, some of her husband’s kinsmen, along with his sister, conspired with a doctor to smuggle her husband out of the hospital to an undisclosed location.
When she reported the matter to the police, the doctor admitted to accepting a bribe of ₦100,000 to falsely claim that her presence was harming her husband’s condition. Despite these efforts, Okeke’s husband passed away.
After his death, Okeke was reportedly denied access to her husband’s property, including rental properties and shops, leaving her struggling to support herself and her children.
She further claims that her husband’s relatives attempted to bring back his ex-wife from a previous marriage, who had been divorced for years, to claim ownership of most of his assets.
Okeke also revealed that some of her husband’s relatives made sexually inappropriate demands, insisting that granting such requests would resolve her problems. She refused these advances, which she believes only worsened her dire situation.
In response to her distress, Ify Obinabo, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, expressed outrage at the treatment Okeke had suffered.
Describing the behavior as “pure wickedness” and a violation of Igbo cultural values. Obinabo assured Okeke that the state government would investigate the matter and ensure the perpetrators face legal consequences.
