Recounting the Last Days Of Mama Abriba, An 88-Year Old Woman Who Died In Detention For Her Son’s Crime

Injustice done anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly, says Martin Luther. The story of Mama Abriba, in Abia State, may not be different from that helpless man or woman in your neighbourhood who is compelled to sacrifice their life for the crime they knew nothing about.

An 88-year old Abariba woman in Abia State became a sacrificial lamb when she gave up the ghost while in detention for the son’s presupposed engagement in kidnapping the mother of a the rich man in Aba.

The old woman’s son was said to engage in the kidnapping of the mother of a businessman, and unfortunately the the kidnapped woman still died while she was still in the hands of the kidnappers, when the ransom demanded, could not be paid on time. The businessman, in his desperate attempt to avenge the death of his mother, besieged the residence of the suspected kidnapper with security agents. Since the police could not see the alleged kidnapper, they arrested the old woman alongside 14 other people who were currently with her at the residence where they were all taken to police custody.

The Evangelist who had encountered Mama while in detention made frantic efforts in making sure that the innocent old woman was released from detention with no avail; not even the phone calls he made to the Governor’s office could assist the helpless woman from been released from the custody.

After every attempts to bring her out of detention proved abortive, Mama was left to her fate. Regrettably, the helpless woman died on 20 December 2019 but barely a month after her death, the fourteen (14) people arrested with her were eventually released.

While in detention, the concerned Evangelist who always visited to share the reinvigorate inmates spiritually, allowed Mama to pour out her emotions. At this moment, the old depressed but courageous woman recited Psalm 115 from the beginning to the end eulogizing God as her shield and fortress; with this she equally advised the fellow inmates and other people around to do the same.

Mama solemnly died in 2010 at the age of 88 after spending nine years in detention for the crime that she did not commit and land of Abia remains quiet over this hideous injustice done to helpless woman eve at the point of death.

The Government of Abia State could not question why an old woman of that age was locked up in a cell even when efforts were made by the Evangelist the contracted Lawyer to solicit for Mama’s case. One would wonder while the innocent woman of that age would be allowed to go through distress, pain, and anguish during her last days on earth both the Government and the Police knew full well that the miserable woman no hand in the alleged crime.

By allowing the gruesome act to thrive in the State, the Government of Abia State with its security architects was transferring the sins of the child unto the mother when even God has clearly disputed that no one would again suffer for the sins committed by another person; for the soul that sinneth would always bear the consequences.

It is quite disheartening that Mama died a helpless and miserable death and no one was there to take action before or after her death.

Thus, it is high time the government of Abia State revived the case and asked certain questions on why Mama was arrested and allowed to spend numerous years in detention when it was quite obvious that she committed. It is only then that soul of the tortured, ill-treated and depressed woman will rest in peace; else the Land would always grieve for the pain that she was made to go through unjustly.

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Solomon Akpensongun

Brief Bio: Solomon Akpensongun is a passionate Journalist, a Freelancer and a Blogger that craves for societal change through reliable and factual news content creation