A prominent rights foundation has thrown its weight behind two sisters from Eluama Uzuakoli in a high-stakes legal and cultural battle over parental property, calling their case a glaring example of the persistent practice of female disinheritance.
The Women and Orphans Rights to Family Assets Foundation (WORFAF) issued a strong advocacy statement today, condemning the alleged dispossession of Kelechi and Chinwendu Okorie from their late parents’ property. The foundation labelled the act a violation of established Nigerian law and a betrayal of Igbo principles of justice.
In the statement, WORFAF’s Executive Director, Nwadi Elobuike, asserted that the sisters’ ordeal is “regrettably, not an isolated case,” highlighting a widespread pattern where daughters are unjustly denied inheritance rights under the guise of custom.
“The law affirms that a daughter is as much a child of her father as a son, with equal rights to family property,” the statement read, directly referencing Supreme Court precedents set in the cases of Ukeje v. Ukeje and Mojekwu v. Mojekwu, which nullified customs that disinherit women.
The foundation commended the courage of Kelechi and Chinwendu Okorie for breaking their silence and also acknowledged support from their political representative, Honourable Emmanuel Ndubuisi of Bende South Constituency, and lawyers from their community.
At the core of the dispute is the sisters’ demand for the vacation of their late parents’ property by what they term “unlawful occupants.” WORFAF has fully endorsed this demand, calling it “the only lawful and equitable resolution.”
“We call on all relevant authorities to ensure compliance,” the statement warned. “Any attempt to frustrate or dilute this demand will be viewed as a willful perpetuation of gender-based injustice and resisted by all lawful means.”
The case has reignited the tense national conversation around gender equality, constitutional rights, and the limits of customary practice in modern Nigeria. WORFAF has vowed to monitor the situation closely, signaling that this local dispute has now attracted sustained advocacy attention.
Community leaders in Eluama Uzuakoli could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Women and Orphans Rights to Family Assets Foundation (WORFAF) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to advocating for and protecting the inheritance and property rights of women and orphans in Nigeria.
