There is a looming war between the family of Idibia Ije and the Amafu community in Okpokwu LGA of Benue State as the villagers had vowed to hold Tuface and his siblings hostage for refusing to complete his house in the village.
In fact, Tuface’s mum, Mrs. Rose Idibia narrowly escaped death on Thursday night after she was attacked by her husband’s kinsmen for not allowing Tuface to complete his house in the village.
DailyPost exclusively gathered that problem started after Mr. Idibia breathed his last in faraway India and the family invited the four children to inform them of what to do.
It was learnt that one of the conditions given by the Idibia family was for Tuface to build a befitting house where his father would be laid to rest, since he is the star among them.
It was also gathered that the immediate family members pleaded with the children to grade the road leading to Amufu, their home town from Ojapo for easy access during the burial. Tuface, it was learnt agreed and promised to do as they had demanded.
To keep to his promise, the singer sent in some money and the building project and the upgrading of the road kick started almost immediately.
This development made all residents to go ballistic as several prayers and encomiums were poured on their proud son, Innocent, popularly known as Tuface.
It was gathered that some farmers, whose crops were close to the roads were asked to uproot their crops to enable the project move freely; this they did with all enthusiasm and without grudges. However, along the line, the projects suddenly stopped, leaving the people, including Tuface’s uncles in the dark.
When Tuface was contacted, he told them he no longer had money to continue the project and that he would continue after his father’s burial.
This irked his kinsmen, who vowed never to lay the deceased to rest until Tuface fulfilled his promise. Those who were not satisfied with Tuface’s excuse embarked on investigation and discovered that it was his mum, Rose that allegedly stopped him from completing the project.
“The mum told him not to waste his money on any building, that he would not come home anytime to stay there; that his uncles would only take over the house once he completes it”, an indigene who craved anonymity told this reporter.
Several efforts to convince Tuface to continue the project hit the rocks, prompting the people to take the revenge on him and his mum as soon as they returned with the corpse.
DailyPost observed that as soon as the corpse touched down in Amufu and the widow alighted, youths in the area began to jeer her. Others were seen throwing stones and sticks at her, calling her all sort of names depicting a wicked person.
Some mockingly called her ‘Obu Michael’ (Michael’s husband) while others said she must pay for the crops they uprooted. She was sneaked into a room by her colleagues from Cherryfield College, Jikwoyi where she serves as Vice Principal.
Not yet done, when the pal bearers tried to take the casket inside, the youths again revolted that the corpse should be kept outside. The women in the village also insisted that a hut should be built for the widow, Mrs. Idibia since her husband had no house in the village.
This protest lasted for hours before it was brought under control by elders in the village. While this lasted, Tuface stayed glued inside his car with two of his kids, Isabella and Olivia, with security men fully on guard as the youths vowed to beat him up for listening to his mum.
When the Priest in charge of St. Camel Catholic Church, Ojapo invited Mrs. Idibia to explain her own side of the story, she blasted her in-laws for being heartless by calling on a child, who is mourning to come and build a house in the village.
According to a visibly angry Mrs. Idibia, who hails from Ogege, Amafu’s next door neighbour, it was unfair that the people were accusing her of stopping her son from building in his own town. She explained that if she were against the project, she wouldn’t had allowed Tuface to start in the first place.
“Is it not wickedness that you would call on someone who is mourning his father to come and start a building project? When my husband died, they informed my son to come and build ten bed room flat. He accepted and promised to do so, with the hope that a hug amount of money was coming his way.
The building project started almost immediately but stopped along the line because of finance. So, when they called to complain that money was no longer coming, I called Tuface and he said because of the Ebola issue, the money he was expecting could not come, that they should hold on till after the burial.
But his uncles refused, insisting that the burial would not hold until Tuface completed the house. “When we finally came home with the corpse on Thursday, they began to boo me.
Some wanted to kill me by throwing stones and sticks at me, that I stopped Tuface my son from building in his village”, she explained amidst tears. The cleric in his reponse told Mrs.
Idibia that the people were not wrong for demanding for a house, but that they went too far by jeering and hulling stones at her. He, however, pleaded with the Idibias to exercise patience until after the burial since the children won’t run away.
Pa. Idibia was finally laid to rest but the community is insisting that Tuface must complete the building or he would remain in the village.
A villager told our reporter that Tuface, the second son of Mr. Idibia, was almost beaten by some youths the last time he came to the village for his grand mother’s burial, for abandoning his people.
It was learnt that Tuface refused to invite any of his star friends because of the humiliation he always faced in his home town.
Only his manager, Efe Omoregbe and few bouncers came for the burial. However, a Rev. Father, who would not want his name in print, lambasted the Amufu community for being so wicked by forcing a man to build a house. “I have never seen where someone is being forced to build a house in his village.
Do they know his statement of account? Is it because Tuface is popular? Is he a politician, why are they forcing him to grade the community road? Is he the local government chairman? They better stop this nonsense.
This kind of culture is total rubish and must be stopped”, he warned. Another resident flayed Tuface for listening to his mum by not completing the projects. “See, let the truth be told, I am ashamed.
Imagine Tubaba of all people facing this kind of humiliation. How much will it cost him to build a house here in the village? I am sure he has houses outside the state.
That to me is not fair. Go to Otukpa and see the mansion TerryG built there. His parents are not in the village but he did so in case of tomorrow. “You can see that the shame could not allow him bring his friends to the village.
May God help him”, the resident who also pleaded anonymity told DailyPost in Okpoga.
When DailyPost contacted Tuface’s manager, Efe Omoregbe, he denied knowledge of the development.
“Bros, I don’t know what you are talking about”, he said.
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