Dr. Chimezie told the court that he kept his mum’s corpse in his wardrobe for 10 years because he was keeping it as evidence for a suit against a company.
Dr. Chimezie Osigwe who is a retired school principal was arrested in May 2013 by the Imo State Police Command for hiding the embalmed body of his 78-year-old mother, Lucy Osigwe, in his wardrobe for ten years.
Osigwe was then charged to court on a one count of m****r by the state. He told the court that he did not kill his mother for ritual purposes as accused by the police.
Dr. Chimezie Osigwe explained that he kept his mother’s corpse in his wardrobe for 10 years as evidence in a suit he filed against Chevron Oil Company that he accused of causing the death of his mother.
The Guru Maharaji devotee said that the exploration activities of the oil company in his community, Ejemekwuru, in Oguta Council Area of Imo State, caused a partial landslide that cracked most buildings in the community, including his family’s building, where he was living with his late mother.
“My mother woke up around 1am that fateful day to ease herself but the wall of the toilet which has been damaged collapsed and fell on her and I heard her shout and rushed down to her room with my two sisters, She died before the dawn of the day.
I then reported the case to the police and an autopsy was carried out and I took the embalmed body and preserved it in my wardrobe as I intended to sue the oil company for causing the death of my mother.
My siblings both those in the diaspora and at home, were aware of my plan and they gave their support that the body be kept as an evidence for the case,” Dr. Chimezie told the court.
He was acquitted by the court after giving his reasons. While delivering judgment on the suit HOG/23C/2013, Justice Goddy Anunihu, ruled that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was responsible for the death of the victim.
He ruled that the prosecution counsel lacked evidence to prosecute the defendant who was alleged to have murdered his mother in August 2004 in his compound.
