Abia Widow Pleads Against Forced Sale of Her Home

A 63-year-old Abia widow, Mrs. Nkechinyere Ndukwe, is fighting to retain her family's property, which was left to her and her children by her late husband, after it was allegedly targeted by unknown individuals.

Her two-storey building and a bungalow have been severely damaged, with the structures now standing as hollow and battered, exposing her to uncertainty and fear, as she insists that "my property is not for sale" and "if they take this from me, they have taken my life".

Mrs. Ndukwe, a retired headmistress, has appealed to the wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, to intervene and save her from the relentless persecution she is facing, through a "Save-My-Soul" letter written by the Human Rights Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Umuahia Branch.

The ordeal began in January when some men appeared, claiming they had purchased her property located at Plot 62, Mission Hill, Umuahia, which was once known as Novotel Hotel before it was converted into a residential house of many flats, despite her insistence that "I never sold my property to anyone".

The property is jointly owned by Mrs. Ndukwe, her son, and her daughter, but the claimants alleged that her son sold it, which she disputes, stating that "how can one person sell what belongs to all of us, my daughter and I never agreed to sell any property, we were never informed nor consulted".

Her son was arrested and locked up in Abuja, with threats to detain him for life, and was asked to refund the money, but the claimants are insisting that they have bought the property and won't accept any refund, instead wanting to add more money.

Mrs. Ndukwe's refusal to sign documents allegedly presented to her by the claimants triggered a campaign of intimidation, which has spiraled into outright destruction, with the purported buyers bent on taking possession of the property at all costs.

Armed men suspected to be hired thugs stormed the premises on January 29, 2026, equipped with cutting machines and dangerous weapons, tearing down metal gates, ripping out burglar-proof, and forcefully gaining access into the compound, marking the beginning of systematic attacks.

Doors and windows were destroyed, electric wires, meters, and cables were stripped away, plunging the home into total darkness, and the protective fence was demolished, leaving Mrs. Ndukwe and her grandchildren exposed and vulnerable.

The once solid structure now stands partially de-roofed, open to the elements, and bearing the scars of repeated invasions, with each missing plank and broken wall telling a story of helplessness, as Mrs. Ndukwe lives in fear, stating that "they come anytime they like, sometimes at night, sometimes in the day, I don’t sleep anymore".

The NBA Human Rights Committee reports that Mrs. Ndukwe has been subjected to continuous harassment, including being dragged from one Police station to another, while the alleged perpetrators continue their actions unchecked, with threats issued against her life, vowing to return with bulldozers to completely demolish what remains of the structures.

The emotional and psychological toll on Mrs. Ndukwe, who is described as elderly, hypertensive, and without help, is evident, as she lives in constant anxiety, her health deteriorating under the weight of fear and uncertainty, with nights being sleepless and days filled with dread.

Her grandchildren, who depend on her, now share in the trauma, living in darkness, insecurity, and confusion, as the NBA committee notes that "she is a poor widow who has given her life to serving society as a teacher, now she is being pushed to the edge, abandoned and defenseless".

The NBA has urged the Abia First Lady to step in urgently and use her influence to halt the ongoing injustice and persecution, emphasizing that "this is a woman at her wits’ end, she has nowhere else to turn, if nothing is done, the consequences may be irreversible".