A 28-year-old widow and mother of three, Mrs Clara Tiger, has accused her mother-in-law, Mrs Ngozi Itigwe, of illegally seizing her husband’s property after his death.
According to Clara, her mother-in-law took control of her late husband’s property, depriving her and her children of their rightful inheritance.
Clara claimed that her mother-in-law also ordered her to remarry, exacerbating her emotional distress in the aftermath of her husband’s passing.
But her mother-in-law denied any wrongdoing, claiming that Clara had already divorced her husband before his passing. Mrs Itigwe claimed it was she who had compassionately called Clara to her husband’s bedside when he fell ill.
According to her, Clara only arrived at her son’s residence about three to four days before his unfortunate demise, implying that Clara’s claims of illegal seizure of property and forced remarriage were unfounded.
Mrs Itigwe stated that the matter was currently being handled by the family of Clara’s late husband, who had requested that Clara come with her representatives to resolve the issue.
According to Mrs Itigwe, Clara’s family was yet to meet with the late husband’s family to discuss the matter, despite the request. She said: “When her husband died, I did not take anything. After the death of her husband, there are some things she is supposed to do as a wife. I am not the one holding her husband’s property. Her husband’s people are with it.”
But in an emotional interview with journalists, Clara recounted her harrowing experience, revealing that her husband passed away in August 2023 and was laid to rest in September of the same year.
With tears, she said she was still legally married to her husband at the time of his demise and that their union had not been dissolved.
She explained: “After my husband died, my mother-in-law denied me access to his property. She even went to my husband’s tenants and told them not to pay rent to me. She was collecting the rent.
“I have three children; we are struggling to survive, and she is collecting the rent, telling me that I should carry my children, pack my things and go, that I am no longer part of the family. This is the issue.
“I want the government to come to my aid and bring a fair judgement to this case because I really don’t know how to go about it again.
“I have tried to make peace with her, but she insisted, saying that I must leave, that I am no longer part of the family, that my husband is dead.”
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