The police have arrested a widow, Stella Ndidi Amaka Ekwerekwu, for allegedly presenting a four-month old baby boy as son and next of kin to her late husband, Victor Ameachi Ekwerekwu.
The suspect, according to a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, dated January 3, 2020, by the deceased‘s brother, Charles Ekwerekwu Nwabufo, brought the baby to her husband few hours after his death.
The couple, who are natives of Onitsha, Anambra State, were said to have married for 18 years without a child.
The accused was said to have few hours after presentation of the child to her dying husband, proceeded to the probate registry to register the child as next of kin to her husband.
The husband’s family who knew all along that the couple had no child, became suspicious and called for arrest of the woman.
In the petition sent to the IGP which necessitated Ekwerekwu’s arrest and subsequent detention, the petitioner alleged that his brother’s wife who could not bear a child during their 18 years marriage, appeared with the child on her brother’s sickbed few hours to his death claiming to be his son.
Besides claiming that her deceased husband fathered the child, Ekwerekwu, also allegedly presented the child as next of kin to her husband.
The deceased, who died on October 29, 2019, is still lying in the mortuary.
The police boss, who acted on the petition directed the Intelligence Response Team unit led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari to act swiftly.
When contacted by newsmen, DCP Abba Kyari said, “My brother, we are not allowed to comment on the case.”
Based on the strength of the petition the suspect, who is said to be currently in custody at the Force Headquarters, Abuja was arrested.
On interrogation by IRT detectives, the suspect reportedly confessed that the child does not belong to the deceased, while the documents in the probate registry where the child was registered has also been recovered.
The complainant had alleged in his petition that “Stella, who was married to his late brother, Victor Ekwerekwu for 18 years without any issue, suddenly brought a four-month old baby few days to his brother's death and claimed that the late husband was the father of the child.”
Also, a bank manager who was accused of facilitating withdrawal of money from the deceased account to the wife has also been arrested by the police
The IRT operatives had gone far in their investigation and that more persons who allegedly assisted the accused to hatch the plan will be arrested.
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