Anambra State Government Arrests Woman and Her Two Children for Allegedly Assaulting Her 75-Year-Old Husband

The Anambra State Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare has arrested some Esther Obidigwe, Ozioma Obidigwe and Obuka Obidigwe for allegedly beating the family patriarch.

The Media Assistant to the Commissioner for Women, Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, who made this known in a statement on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, said the trio were arrested after the 75-year-old victim, Mr. Romanus, reported to the ministry.

Mr Obidigwe, a retired senior civil servant, shared his experiences with his family at the Commissioner’s office. He said his family had been in the habit of beating him for a long time.

He said the cause of the latest incident was that his daughter, Ozioma, sold his firewood without his permission. When he demanded to know why she was doing so, she and other family members pounced on him, tied him up and used a stick to inflict injuries on him.

Mr. Obidigwe further alleged that the trio has since stopped feeding him, which he accepted in good faith. He said they usually robbed him and pointed to his son, Obuka, who he said had gone to the local government where he had retired to claim his benefits.

The patriarch bitterly regretted that for the sake of peace he had given in to his wife’s commitment not to have sexual relations since 2000.

He also noted that the beating only stopped after a neighbor intervened, after which they locked him out of his house.

When asked why they had injured their father, his son Obuka denied being present at the incident. His wife, Mrs Esther Obidigwe, confessed to the crime. The daughter, however, claimed that it was precisely what the father wanted to do to her that made her turn against him.

The women affairs boss, Hon. Ify Obinabo, who was visibly enraged by the cowardly act, vowed to ensure that the patriarch gets justice.

At the time of filing this report, the trio has been handed over to the police. They will be questioned and brought before a judge.