Pecohub A widow, Mrs Ukamaka Obi, from Achi community, Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State, has regained the sum of ₦1.6m which her late husband’s relatives withdrew from the deceased’s account using his Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card on the pretense of saving for her.
This followed the intervention of the wife of the governor of Enugu State, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah. Pecohub gathered that Mrs Mbah’s intervention followed reports that after the death of her husband, Mr Samuel Obi, the sum was withdrawn from his bank account by some members of his family, who allegedly claimed the funds were being kept on her behalf.
A source claimed the the ATM card was seized, leaving the widow and her two young children, a three-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl, without access to the deceased’s account.
Acting through her office and the Custos Care Foundation, Mrs Mbah, in collaboration with the leadership of Oji River Local Government, and key community stakeholders facilitated the refund of the sum to the widow.
The Managing Director of Custos Care Foundation, Comrade Egodi Igwe, condemned the act.
He said, “This is unacceptable and must not be allowed to happen to any widow or family in our communities.”
Mrs Uche Anyaegbudike, Chairperson of Oji River LGA, said such actions were unacceptable and “do not reflect the values of our community”. She said, “We will continue to protect vulnerable members of our society and prevent similar occurrences in the future.”
The community’s Chief Security Officer, Mr Nnaemeka Anyalebechi, and the President-General of Achi community, Mr Agozie, assured that they would remain watchful over the situation to ensure the widow and her children are protected and that such incidents do not recur.
Both expressed gratitude to the wife of the Enugu State governor for her timely intervention, describing it as a demonstration of compassion, justice, and responsive leadership.
Our correspondent reports that the widow, Ukamaka Obi, aged 30, is currently receiving support through the Office of the First Lady and the Custos Care Foundation.
