Mother Reunited with 3 Children After 6 Years

A mother in her early thirties was on Tuesday, reunited with her three children, who were forcefully taken away from her for six years by her husband and the family.

The children were retrieved for the woman by Hon. Ify Obinabo, the Anambra State Women and Social Welfare Commissioner. This was in response to a petition made by the woman identified as Chizoba Patience Nwafor, who claimed that her husband, Ogochukwu David Nwafor, who lives in South Africa, had seized the children from her.

According to the petitioner, the husband had left the children for six years, in custody of his sister, Ukamaka Igwilo, who then gave them to Josephine Okoye and her husband, Mr. Chukwudimma Okoye. It was gathered that after a preliminary investigation by the Women Affairs Ministry, the Commissioner, Hon. Obinabo stormed the school where the children attending and rescued the three kids.

In an emotion-laden voice, the complainant, Chizoba Nwafor expressed appreciation to the Women Affairs Commissioner for coming to her rescue. According to her, all her efforts to get back her children after they were taken away from her were unsuccessful, as she did not have anyone to speak for her.

“My last child was just two years old when she and her siblings were taken taken from me and ever since, my husband’s family has denied me access to see them and has forbidden me from getting close to them.

“It pained my heart that a woman like me will harbour my own children in her house with her own children and prevent me from accessing my children.

“My joy knows no bounds at what you have done for me today,” she said addressing the Commissioner.

However, when spoken with, Josephine Okoye, who had custody of the children, refuted the complainant’s claim and alleged that since their brother took their children, they have never seen Chizoba. According to her, the complainant never made any effort to look for the children but instead ran to government to accuse her falsely.

Commissioner Obinabo, who was incensed by the perpetrators’ callous demeanor, issued a dire warning to any would-be offender, stating that under no circumstances would the family be allowed to obtain custody of the children when the mother was still alive.

She regretted that women have continued to be the major challenge in the efforts targeted at abolishing the various harmful practices against their fellow women, noting that they are always the ones to be used to perpetrate such wickedness.

“It beats my imagination how we as women can make ourselves willing tools in the hands of oppressors of fellow women.

“The truth is that when we refuse them, they cannot perpetrate these acts of wickedness.

“Men are not the problem of women. Instead, women are their own problems,” she lamented.

Hon. Obinabo went on to say that the government of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo would not tolerate any sort of detrimental behavior perpetrated against women by other women while under his administration.

At the reunion, even though the smallest could hardly recall who Chizoba is, the elder sisters were glad to be reunited with their mother after the rescue. After the whole episode, the husband of the complainant, David Nwafor who resides in South Africa, as well as his family, were summoned for a meeting with the Honorable Commissioner on Friday.