Burial site conflict mars Nwobodo son’s burial

A bitter disagreement over a burial-site, on Friday,
marred the burial of Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, the late
son of a former governor of old Anambra State, Chief
Jim Nwobodo.
Ifeanyichukwu, a commissioner during the administration
of Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, died after a battle with
cancer and his burial was scheduled for Friday.
The burial was supposed to be a major event that would
attract dignitaries from all walks of life, considering
Nwobodo’s antecedents.
However, even though the expected dignitaries turned out
in their numbers, the burial was not able to hold as of the
time of filing this report by 3:30 pm.
The development followed Nwobodo’s insistence that the
late Ifeanyichukwu, who was his first son, must not be
buried in his compound, a decision which was spiritedly
objected to by the deceased younger brother, Chukwudi
Nwobodo.
A grave meant for the internment was dug by a newly
built bungalow, which Nwobodo was said to have built for
that purpose after Ifeanyichukwu’s passage.
Ifeanyichukwu, like Chukwudi, was Nwobodo’s child
from his estranged wife.
Nwobodo is currently living with his second wife.
Interestingly, as of the time of filing this report,
Ifeanyichukwu’s corpse had not been made available for
burial, even as disagreements over his final resting place
continue.
Mourners were already seated in church for the burial
service at St. Mathew’s Anglican Church, Amechi,
Awkunanaw, Enugu, with the choir singing burial hymns,
when it was discovered that the corpse was not even
around.
It was gathered that Ifeanyichukwu’s siblings relocated the
corpse from the mortuary to an unknown destination, in
order to stop him from being buried outside their father’s
compound.
Our correspondent, who was at the Nwobodo’s country
home to witness the burial, observed that the youths and
elders of the community opposed to the decision to bury the
deceased outside his father’s compound.
A number of influential politicians, including Deputy
Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, former Imo State
governor, Achike Udenwa, and religious leaders, are
involved in negotiations to resolve the impasse.
At the time of filing this report, the church leadership had
proposed that Ifeanyichukwu would be buried in the
church cemetary, which is beside Nwobodo’s compound.