Anita Ogona
A middle aged woman, Esther Obidigwe and her two children, Ozioma and Obuka Obidigwe have been arrested for allegedly beating their 75-year old patriarch in Awba Ofemili in Anambra State.
The arrest followed report from the victim, Mr Romanus Obidigwe which he incidented at the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare.
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of his own family members at the ministry, Obidigwe, a retired senior civil servant said he had suffered much in the hands of his wife and children, including “sexual starvation”.He said, “My family has been in the habit of beating me. In this particular incident, my daughter, Ozioma sold my firewood without my consent and when I accosted her, she, her mother and brother pounced on me, tied me up and used a rod to inflict injuries on me.“It took the intervention of a neighbour before they stopped, after which they locked me out of my compound.”
He added, “They have since stopped feeding me which I accepted in good fate, yet, they usually steal from me especially my first son. He even went to the extent of claiming my benefits at the Local Government Area I retired from.“Just for peace to reign, I submitted to my wife’s compulsory “no sexual relationship” since the year 2000 till date.”
Responding to the allegations, first son of the victim, Obuka, denied being present when the incident happened while his wife, Mrs Esther Obidigwe confessed to the crime.
The daughter, simply said, “It was what my father wanted to do to me that turned against him.”
Reacting, Commissioner for Women Affairs, Ify Obinabo condemned the act, vowing to ensure justice for the victim.
She noted that her ministry was not only instituted for women and children but also for the social welfare of all and sundry.“Residents are warned to desist from crime because the present administration is out to make sure the oppressed gets justice,” she stressed.
The Commissioner disclosed that the suspects had been handed over to the police for further investigations and possible prosecution.
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