‘Do you know this man?’ Neighbours rally round widow after hubby died without revealing his homestead
A Lagos community has been thrown into confusion after a man died suddenly, and his wife could not find any of his relatives to call to announce his death despite living together and sharing three children.
The incident, which has gained traction on social media, was first shared on TikTok by a user identified as SweetbellarO and later reposted on Facebook by Jennifer Chioma Owolabor.
Owolabor said the deceased, identified as Stephen Roland Ekpobuma, who lived in her neighbourhood, died last week Saturday.
She disclosed that the death became a form of scandal, attracting other neighbours after the wife repeatedly claimed that she did not know any member of his family she could call to inform them of his death.
Residents in the area described the situation as unusual. But they the wife reportedly told them she made several attempts during the marriage to learn more about her husband’s family background.
These efforts were said to have been met with resistance, as the man allegedly became upset and querrelsome over the issue.
The only detail reportedly known about the deceased was that he claimed to be from Edo State, without specifying a homestead, hometown or introducing any family member throughout his lifetime.
Concerned neighbours have since taken to social media to appeal for help in locating the man’s relatives, as his body remains in the mortuary and his wife is said to be facing difficulties handling burial arrangements alone.
In the viral post, the neighbour explained that the appeal was driven by the belief that someone, somewhere, might recognise the deceased’s name and come forward.
The situation has sparked widespread reactions online, with many expressing sympathy for the widow while also raising questions about secrecy, identity, and transparency within marriages.
Superstition has also crept in as some are suggesting that the man might have been an ‘akudaaya’ a Yoruba word for a person who died somewhere and went elsewhere to raise a family.
Neighbours want anyone who recognises the picture to link up with them on social media.
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