Victoria Okoro, who is the estranged wife of Francis Obila, the son of the deputy governor of Ebonyi State, has spoken out about being separated from her two young children for eight weeks.
In a detailed Facebook post on Monday, Ms Okoro asked to be allowed to see her kids again.
She explained that she and her husband parted ways on June 21, just when their second child was about three months old. Their first child is one year and six months old.
Ms Okoro mentioned that she kept quiet for the last eight weeks to respect those involved in their family matters. She hoped for peace, but her attempts to see her children have not worked out.
“Eight weeks is a very long time for a mother to be separated from her children, especially children so young.
“I want to make something very clear: this is not about bitterness, revenge, or hatred. I have forgiven everyone involved,” she said.
She emphasized that her public plea was not just for her sake, but for her kids.
“There are two innocent children at the centre of this situation. Children who did not ask for any of this.
“Children who should not have to bear the consequences of whatever disagreement exists between the adults in their lives. They deserve the love, presence and care of both their parents,” she added.
In her Facebook message, Ms Okoro made a direct appeal to her estranged husband, Mr Obila, and Deputy Governor Patricia Obila, asking them to let her see her children.
“I am therefore making this public appeal to my, Francis Obila, and his mother: I am asking that we find a peaceful and immediate resolution to this situation and that I be allowed access to and custody of my children,” she stated.
The mother said she is willing to wait one more week for the family to resolve the disagreement “privately and peacefully.”
“If nothing changes after that, I will have no choice but to begin sharing, in a series, the events and circumstances that have brought us to this point.
“I will not do so to insult anyone, destroy anyone’s reputation, or seek revenge.
“I will simply tell my story, present the facts as I experienced them, and allow the public to understand what has been happening behind the scenes for the past eight weeks,” she explained.
“My children deserve better than this. And as their mother, I cannot continue to remain silent while they are caught in the middle.”
She tagged her estranged husband, the deputy governor, and other officials of the Ebonyi State Government in her post.
On Tuesday, Mrs Obila responded through her media aide, Ogbonna Ewa. She said the issue is already getting “appropriate attention” after being sent to an unnamed branch of the Catholic Church and the state commissioner for women affairs.
“These institutions are saddled with the responsibility of handling family and welfare issues with fairness, confidentiality, and respect for all parties involved,” the deputy governor said.
She asked Nigerians to be patient, respect the family’s privacy, and let the institutions deal with the matter without making it worse.
“I have full confidence in the church and the Ministry of Women Affairs to handle the matter professionally and ensure an amicable resolution.
“I therefore appeal to the public to avoid the spread of unverified information and to allow due process to take its course,” she added.
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