Police Chief Highlights Poor Treatment of Widows in Anambra

The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, has spoken out about the bad treatment some widows face from their late husbands' families.

Mr Orutugu shared this on Sunday in Amawbia, Awka, at a “Human Rights Accountability Meeting.”

The meeting was put together by the Humanitarian Cares Initiative, a non-governmental organization, along with the police in Anambra. The aim was to educate residents about their rights, focusing on widows.

The police commissioner explained that the abuse of widows’ rights comes from cultural and traditional beliefs.

“In some families in Anambra, when a woman loses her husband, she becomes a subject of ridicule. This is wrong under Nigerian law.

“The way women suffer in Anambra after losing their husbands is terrible.

“Some in-laws only want to take their late brother’s wife and property but do not think about how to care for the deceased's children,” he said.

He emphasized that under Nigerian law, a legally married woman has the right to her children and her husband’s property.

As a widow, you have rights to your husband’s property if you were legally married before he passed away.

“Since I became the commissioner of police here over a year ago, I have helped many widows get justice for their violated rights,” he said.

The commissioner encouraged husbands in the state to write a will to protect their wives and children in case of their death.

Mr Orutugu advised families and communities to change some cultural practices to respect the constitution, which protects everyone’s rights, including those of widows.

He urged residents to report any human rights violations to the police to help prevent and fight crime.

The police commissioner also mentioned that bail is free and encouraged people to report any police officers who ask for money to grant bail.

Speaking at the event, the Officer in Charge of the command’s legal department, Essien Edet, a chief superintendent of police, urged both widows and widowers to report rights violations to the police. He said that everyone is protected under the law.

He added that this would help prevent and address crime in the community.

According to him, it is the police's job to enforce the law.