By Echezona Okafor
An Anambra widow, Mrs. Hope Ulasi, who was recently evicted from her matrimonial home, has sent a distress call to the Anambra State Government over threats to her safety and well-being.
Mrs. Ulasi, wife of the late Pa Joseph Ulasi, who died on December 18, 2000, and was buried on May 15, 2005, accused one of her husband’s sons, Mr. Azuka Ulasi, of relying on what she described as a “fraudulent and non-existent will” to secure a court judgment and evict her from the family home.
Speaking to our correspondent on Sunday, April 19, in Nnewi, Anambra State, she maintained that her husband never made a will during his lifetime.
“My husband did not write any will. We all know this as a family. Even his children can confirm it. So where did this will suddenly come from?” she queried.
She explained that her late husband had consistently maintained that he would not formally partition his property among his children, but instead allow each child to build on any available portion of the family land upon attaining financial independence.
“He told us clearly that he would not share the land. His instruction was simple: ‘if you make money, you build.’ That was the understanding in the family,” she stated.
Providing a timeline to support her claim, Mrs. Ulasi noted that the disputed will was allegedly deposited on May 25, 2006, several years after her husband’s death, and was not read until October 30, 2008. However, she pointed out that a suit had already been filed on September 11, 2008, with the will bearing a High Court stamp of the same date. She further referenced a letter of invitation dated September 15, 2008, scheduling the will to be read on October 16, 2008.
“This raises serious questions. How did they obtain and rely on a will that had not yet been officially read?” she asked.
According to her, the sequence of events surrounding the will’s emergence raises significant doubts about its authenticity and legal standing.
“This so-called will surfaced years after my husband’s death and was already being used in court processes before it was even read. That alone calls its credibility into question,” she argued.
She added that legal advice available to her indicates that the validity of a will under Nigerian law depends on strict compliance with statutory requirements, including proper execution, witness attestation, and confirmation that the document was made voluntarily by the deceased while of sound mind.
The dispute has since progressed to the Court of Appeal, but tensions escalated when Mrs. Ulasi alleged that Mr. Azuka Ulasi moved to enforce an earlier judgment based on the contested will.
“Mr. Azuka came with what he claims is a court judgment and forcefully evicted me, thereby committing injustice of the highest order,” she said.
She described the eviction as unlawful and morally indefensible, emphasizing that as a widow, she retains both legal and customary rights to remain in her matrimonial home.
“Chasing a widow out of her husband’s home, especially on the basis of a questionable document, is not only illegal but inhumane,” she added.
Mrs. Ulasi further alleged intimidation and coercion, claiming that attempts are being made to silence dissenting family members.
“We are being threatened and intimidated to accept something we know is not true. This is why we are calling on the government to step in,” she said.
She called on the Anambra State Government and relevant judicial authorities to urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding the disputed will and ensure justice is served.
“This matter is already before the Court of Appeal, but if nothing is done, it may degenerate into violence. We are pleading for urgent intervention,” she warned.
According to her, in cases involving allegations of forgery, the burden lies on the party presenting the document to prove its authenticity beyond reasonable doubt, particularly in matters of inheritance and estate administration.