Late Chief Donatus Ifeanyichukwu Amuchienwa has been in the news from the grave, what an interesting scenario for a dead man to trend from the grave?. This can only happen in Imo State Nigeria. The deceased is trending not because of his actions or inactions from the spirit world; he is trending simply because some heartless, mischievous, and wicked fellows have sworn not to allow him to rest in peace. From their they don't want the dead to rest in peace. Their stock in trade is to oppress, intimidate, molest, and suppress his legally married wife, Mrs. Ogechi Henrietta Amuchienwa.
Before we ask pertinent questions that are begging for answer, let's give a little background information. Late Chief Donatus Ifeanyichukwu Amuchienwa hailed from Umuawam Ubomiri. After his demise , his body spent about five months in the morgue. During the period his body was in the morgue, there was no contentious issue that he was stabbed by anybody. The only contentious issue before his burial was the burial date, and those contesting it are the wrong people to do so.
Let me explain how they are the wrong people to do so. The deceased had three wives. The first son from the first wife is Mr. Abeyomi Amuchienwa. The other two wives had kids with him, but none of them produced the overall first son, "Opara". According to custom and tradition of Igbo land, the burial date of any dead member of the family is always decided by his oldest son with the knowledge or agreement of the eldest man in the compound, that's the family head. In some cases where the children of the deceased are still very tender, the eldest man in the compound, (family head)can decide.
In the case of Late Ifeanyichukwu Amuchienwa, the burial date was fixed in agreement between the eldest man in the compound, Family head of Amuchienwa,that is Dee Goddy Amuchienwa and the most senior son of the deceased, Aboyemi.
Before the burial, the bone of contention was the date. Some influential people in the community who have no locus wanted them to shift the date for mischievous reasons that it clashed with the burial date of an in-law to the community.
If I may ask, why should the burial date of an in-law outside Umuawam Community stop the burial of a titled Chief like Late Donatus Ifeanyichukwu Amuchienwa, who provided the first free community borehole for his people?
A question begging for answer on the contentious date is what did those opposing it want to achieve? Why will a man who has no locus in fixing the burial date of a deceased turn out with audacity and impunity to openly oppose the burial date he has no legitimate right to fix?
What will he gain if the burial date is cancelled and the inconvenience those already informed will experience? From available records before the burial date, the bone of contention was the burial date. After the burial was done and dusted, the bone of contention shifted from date to frivolous allegations and call for autopsy.
The million-dollar question begging for answer is this: the over five months and some days the body of Late Donatus Ifeanyichukwu Amuchienwa spent in the morgue, was it not enough to approach the Court and get an order to carry out an autopsy on his body? Late Ifeanyichukwu Donatus Amuchienwa was buried on October 17, by December,.......... they have already gotten an order, and precisely by December 23, they have exhumed his body in a process media observers and legal pondits viewed as commando manner and described as questionable.
Now, the question is: these so-called agents or self-acclaimed agents of justice should answer is this; if they can use about two months and few days to get an order and quickly exhume, why did they fail to use the same strength and resources to achieve the same before the burial to avoid the desecration of the dead? By their action and inactions, is it not proper to describe them as agents of injustice?
Looking at their inability to get an order and carry out an autopsy within the five months and few days the man spent in the mortuary and how they got the same order within two months and few days, his burial took place, will it be wrong to describe them as mischievous, wicked, disrespectful to the dead, and agents of confusion?
It is a well-known fact that Late Donatus Ifeanyichukwu Amuchienwa suffered kidney failure before his death. How many of these people behind the exhumation visited him in the hospital, supported him financially, encouraged him, and prayed for him?
Another pertinent question is this, was the exhumation supervised by authorized personnel such as police officers or medical experts, who are the medical personnel if any and who authorised them in line with requirements for lawful exhumation?
Was the exhumation carried out in accordance with the law? Did they properly inform the deceased's next of kin his overall first son and family head in the person of Dee Goddy?
Looking at the issues and processes surrounding the exhumation, the police are always involved in any exhumation order with a crucial role, which includes investigation, security, collection of evidence, enforcement of court order, and ensuring that the exhumation is carried out lawfully.
In any exhumation process, the police assist medical experts and other personnel involved in the exhumation and autopsy. In the issues surrounding the exhumation of Late Donatus Ifeanyichukwu Amuchienwa, the police are expected to ensure that the exhumation is carried out lawfully and with respect for the deceased and their family. Any irregularities or misconduct can lead to further controversy and legal action. There an allegation that vigilante was used instead of police
On the side of culture and tradition, there is Onye isiala, and there are heads of custom and tradition as long as the traditional institution is concerned. In a community, there's a village head, Ndi Nze na Ozo. Why did they allow the problem to escalate to a point of desecration of the dead, an illustrious son of the community?
Can't the village head, Ndi Nze na Ozo, titled chiefs, and the personality seen as custodian of people's culture and tradition deny that they don't have a role to play in preventing desecration of the land and the dead? If I may ask, is there no leadership in the community that delights in peace, progress, and prevention of acts of taboo, disrespect, defilement of the land, culture, tradition, or acts that may pollute their land traditionally?
On the side of the titled Chiefs, are they aware that the deceased is their fellow title Chief? Today is Late Chief Donatus Ifeanyichukwu Amuchienwa, tomorrow it can be another person. Why are they comfortable the way their fellow title Chief was treated with disrespect at death? Their silient doesn't tell good of them and is questionable?
For educative and enlightenment purposes, both village heads, title chiefs, including Nze Na Oso, onye isi ala of the community, and any personality that represents the custodian of culture of Ubomiri people should know that desecration of the dead refers to the acts of intentionally disrespecting, violating, or profaning a deceased person's body, grave, or memory.
Will any personality that occupies a leadership position in the community deny that the exhumation reportedly carried out in the late hours of the night with purported help of the vigilante did not desecrate the land? Are they not aware of the wishes of the dead when he reportedly made a video documentary and mentioned those he did not want to see his corpse and the need to respect such a wish?
As issues concerning the purported forceful exhumation continue to generate tension, these are questions media observers, legal pundits, and the general public expect those directly or indirectly involved in the desecration of the dead in the person of Late Chief Donatus Ifeanyichukwu Amuchienwa to answer.
Media observers and legal pundits have taken note of the lacuna in the whole process, they are keenly watching to see the final outcome of the trend, if those parading themselves as highly connected from wealthy background will those not wealthy family and not highly connected, they are also if perceived injustice will triumph over justice at the end.