The brewing crisis over alleged abuse of power by the General Manager of the Imo State Housing Corporation, Mr. Raymond Ucheoma, has deepened, following fresh allegations that he is plotting to have Mrs. Dike Nkechi Joy, the widow at the centre of a human rights storm , re-arrested in what activists describe as an attempt to silence her.
The revelation has triggered a fresh wave of outrage across Imo State, with women’s groups, human rights advocates, and community leaders vowing to resist any further harassment of Mrs. Nkechi.
Mrs. Nkechi, a staff member of the Housing Corporation, was reportedly brutalised, unlawfully arrested, and detained for days earlier this year, along with another colleague, Mr. Uche Dike, over actions said to have been taken under the lawful directives of the then Commissioner for Housing, Bede Ekeh. Both were later suspended indefinitely.
The widow’s ordeal, coming shortly after she lost her husband, provoked a strong backlash, culminating in plans for a massive protest by widows from all 27 local government areas of the state next week. Organisers had vowed to march through the streets of Owerri to the Imo State Government House and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) zonal office, demanding Ucheoma’s sack and the reinstatement of the suspended staff.
Now, with the fresh allegation of a re-arrest plot, tensions have escalated.
“This is nothing short of intimidation and an attempt to silence a victim of abuse,” said Mrs. Felicia Nwaneri, leader of the Imo Widows’ Solidarity Network, during an emergency media briefing in Owerri on Monday. “We want to make it clear to Mr. Ucheoma and anyone aiding him: if one more finger is laid on this woman, Imo will witness the largest women’s protest in its history. Widows will shut down Owerri until justice is served.”
The group alleges that discreet information from inside the Housing Corporation suggests moves are underway to use police operatives to pick up Mrs. Nkechi before the protest, in order to “cripple her resolve and send a warning to others.”
Rights campaigners have condemned the development, calling on Governor Hope Uzodimma to personally intervene. “The world is watching,” said Mr. Obinna Iwuoha of the Imo Concerned Citizens (ICC), which had earlier petitioned the NHRC over Mrs. Nkechi’s initial arrest. “If a government official is allowed to repeatedly target a widow who has already been brutalised, it sends a dangerous message about impunity in Imo State.”
Cultural leaders have also weighed in, pointing to Igbo customs that accord widows special protection and empathy. “This is an abomination,” said Chief Marcel Nnanna, a traditional leader in Orlu LGA. “Any man who humiliates a grieving widow drags the dignity of our people into the mud.”
The NHRC has confirmed that it is aware of the issue and is “monitoring developments closely,” reiterating that its investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
Security sources say there is growing concern that the widow’s re-arrest, if it goes ahead, could ignite an uncontrollable wave of protests across the state.
As of press time, Mr. Ucheoma could not be reached for comment.
If the mass protest proceeds as planned next week, it could become one of the largest coordinated demonstrations by women in Imo State in decades, and a critical test of the government’s willingness to check abuse of power within its ranks.
