‘How step-mum cheated us out of dad's property’

One of the ladies

Four sisters, Nkiru, Juliet, Janet and Esther Okeke, have concluded plans to drag their late father’s mistress, Miss. Obiagaeli Victoria, to court.

According to them, the woman was in possession of documents to their late father’s Mr. Emmanuel Okeke, property. The property include a brothel, ‘Emmason Inn,’ located at 19, Ajibode Iju-Ishaga and an estate at 3a, Wamon Taofeek Avenue, Abule-Egba, Lagos.

The ladies said they wanted the world and Nigerians in particular, to know what they had been going through in the hands of Victoria. They also claimed to fear for their lives.

The ladies accused Victoria of fraud, stealing and threat to life.  According to them, Victoria had held unto the property and diverted money accrued from them, to her personal use.

Victoria, on the other hand, said she had been caring for the girls since they were little and had been good to them. She also denied being in possession of any document.

Determined to gain control of some of the property, the ladies approached the Chief Executive Officer of Paths of Peace Initiative, a nongovernmental organization, headed by Comrade Dandi Eze, to take up the legal battle for them.

Championed and guided by Eze, the ladies filed a petition to Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, against Victoria on December 23, 2016.

Two weeks ago, Eze took the case to Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos. The four sisters, Victoria and Victoria’s lawyer were there. It was allegedly agreed by all that Victoria should make money available for the twins, Juliet and Jane, for school clearance, in preparation for NYSC.

When step-mum and step daughters got home, however, they started fighting. The twins claimed Victoria refused to give them the clearance money. The twins further claimed to have been injured by Victoria.

Nkiru, the eldest, said that Victoria was their former dry cleaner, who suddenly became their father’s lover in 2002 after their parents divorced.

Nkiru said: “My father divorced my mum because she didn’t bear him a male child. He wanted a male child, but Victoria also bore him a female child. She moved into our home after our parents’ divorced.”

But before Emmanuel died, Victoria had been running the business with him, said Nkiru. After he died, family elders suggested that she should continue running the business.

Nkiru said: “They also instructed Victoria to take care of us. Our father’s brother, the only relative we know, had been conniving with her, backing her every move. We expected him to fight for us. We didn’t even want to live with her anymore. He doesn’t care what happens to us. In fact, two of them are now close. Not even one of the elders in our village has come to check on us since our father’s demise.”

The ladies, who said they had also been to Ministry of Justice over the issue, said agreements reached, were breached by Victoria.

Nkiru said: “Ministry of Justice said she should give us N15, 000 each monthly, and pay our school fees. Before we get money from her, we have to invite people to beg her. Victoria told Esther not to sit for JAMB last year. But Esther did and got admission into the University of Benin (UNIBEN). Now, her exam is coming up and the tuition fee is yet to be paid.”

The late Emmanuel died of ‘Leg Tumour.’ The ladies described the tumour as mysterious. They said it started just as a boil on the left leg and soon got swollen.

Nkiru added: “It started in 2011. He was referred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. I was in my first year in the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). I had to withdraw from school in order to take care of him. During the time he was sick, we were advised to take him to India, but Victoria stalled the procurement of his Visa. Whenever we found anyone to help us procure the visa, she would say it was too expensive. He died later.”

Reacting to the allegation, Victoria said the girls were cooking up lies against her.

She said: “All I have done is to take care of these girls since their father’s death. I have been taking care of them since them were little girls. I cared for them right to university level. The twins, Juliet and Janet, have graduated. One is schooling at University of Lagos, Akoka and the last born is now at UNIBEN. I don’t know what crime I committed against them. They said they wanted documents to their late father’s property; I have told them the documents are not with me. The documents are with their uncle.”

Emmanuel’s brother, who wished to be addressed simply as Mr. Okeke, said that his late brother’s property documents are not in his custody. He said his nieces were fighting their step-mum unnecessarily.

He added: “The documents are not with me! It’s not my property, so it cannot be in my care. But these children should not be fighting their step-mother. How can they be asking their stepmother to give account, in a business they know nothing about?

“This is a woman, who has taken care of them since they were kids. Two of them are now graduates and can become whatever they want in life. Their father didn’t even want to send them to school because they are all girls.”

Okeke continued: “We all know the situation in the country. Sometimes, the business doesn’t bring in any money. The girls should try and understand.”