Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
If urgent steps are not taken, the family of the Adieles from Uzi-Ezike kindred, Umuzu in Eziama-Ubulu community, Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State may finish themselves over ancestral inheritance left for them by their forefathers.
The family of late Odinma Adiele and Patrick Adiele believed to be biological brothers have been at daggers drawn over a piece of land and some properties left behind by their father.
Oriental News gathered that the peace which existed between the two brothers suddenly took flight when their father died without specifically reading out his will.
Patrick and Odinma became sworn enemies in an attempt to have their father’s property to themselves; the former’s six children and his wife, Theresa, according to a family source, constantly challenged the Odinmas to serious battles.
It was gathered that the frequent quarrels between the two brothers, allegedly claimed the life of one of them; Odinma, in 2005.
Regardless, that did not end the squabble as the rivalry reportedly increased by the day as children from both sides slugged it out on different occasions.
Their festering quarrels came to public domain recently, following the alleged murder of Odinma’s only son by Patrick and his children on May, 27, 2018.
The victim, Dominic, 17, was said to have been ganged beaten to death by his uncle, Patrick and his six children on Children’s Day after a heated argument over the supposed inheritance.
According to the victim’s mother, Emilia Adiele who narrated the incident to our correspondent said she returned from church service that fateful day, to behold the battered body of her son on the bare floor.
Tearfully, she said: “When I inquired what happened, I was told that the children of my late husband’s brother, bullied him till the point he became weak, that same Sunday, my son was taken to the hospital and he died at the hospital.”
Mrs Adiele continued, “I am calling on the government and the Inspector General of Police, to intervene in this my predicament and give me justice. My son cannot just die like that. A boy that was healthy until he was mercilessly beaten which resulted to his death, please come to my aide.”
All members of Patrick Adiele’s family, including his wife, alleged to have been involved in the brutal attack on the late Dominic were already cooling off in detention at the state police command headquarters as at the weekend.
Imo State Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that the suspects had been arrested and the matter transferred to the Homicide Department.
“The matter was actually reported at the Ibeasogbe police station, where the suspects were arrested in connection with the beating to death of the young man and the matter has been transferred to the state CID, Owerri, homicide section, where the suspects are being interrogated”, he stated.
Enwerem also added that the Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galadanchi, has directed a full scale investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of Dominic; assuring that justice will be done.
Meanwhile, the people of the area did not wait for the law to take its course as they rose en masse to pull down the house of Patrick Adiele and also destroyed every property that was linked to the alleged culprits in the compound.
The angry mob which sang war songs in unison from the community square made for the compound of the Adieles where they poured out their emotions; vowing that there would never be peace for any person that had a hand in the teenage boy’s death.