By Our Reporter
The Magistrate Court of Abia State sitting in Olori, Ikwuano Magisterial District, has stopped the planned burial of the late traditional ruler of Ntalakwu Oboro Autonomous Community, HRH Prof. Sam Ajiri, pending the conduct of an autopsy to ascertain the cause and time of his death.
Chief Magistrate N. R. Olujie issued the order after hearing a motion filed by the deceased monarch’s first son, Mr. Dike Ajiri, alongside four others — Chief Uzondu Johnson, Mr. Armstrong Okorocha, Mr. Henry Ekpe, and Mr. Onuoha Chukwuno — against Mrs. Chinwe Ajiri, the widow of the late ruler.
Also joined as respondents were Ashes to Ashes Funerals Limited, the AIG Zone 9 Police Command, and the Inspector-General of Police.
The plaintiffs, through their counsel, Orgmore Kanu, sought an injunction restraining the defendants from proceeding with the burial without a proper autopsy. They argued that an autopsy was essential to establish the true cause of death and accused Mrs. Ajiri of planning the burial without the consent of the deceased’s first wife, Mrs. Eileen Ajiri, his first son, and brothers.
In his ruling, Magistrate Olujie held that the application had merit, noting that the order would serve the ends of justice. The court relied on a legal opinion from AIG Emmanuel Ade, Director of Legal Services at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, which recommended that the autopsy be conducted by a government-approved medical team, with representatives from both sides present.
Consequently, the court restrained Mrs. Ajiri from burying her husband until the autopsy is completed and from engaging thugs or armed men to influence burial proceedings. It also ordered Ashes to Ashes Funerals Limited not to release the remains to any person without the consent of the deceased’s first son, recognized by the court as the head of the family.
Furthermore, the AIG Zone 9, the IGP, and other police officers involved were directed to retain custody of the mortuary tally and release it only for the purpose of conducting the autopsy.
The ruling followed rising tension in Ntalakwu Oboro community over the burial arrangements. Disagreements arose after conflicting statements emerged about the monarch’s actual date of death — with Mrs. Ajiri reportedly telling the police in Zone 9 that her husband died in December 2024, while others maintained he died in September 2024.
Until his death, HRH Prof. Ajiri served as the Apu I of Ntalakwu Oboro Autonomous Community in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State.
Courtesy: Vanguard.