In a shocking turn of events, Ewaoche Benjamin Obe, a former governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Benue State during the 2023 election, has been evicted from his own house in Abuja after his wife allegedly used the property as collateral for a loan.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, has left Obe and his supporters outraged, raising questions about how the situation escalated without his knowledge.
The house, located at the Sagwari Layout of Dutse in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was reportedly built by Obe through years of hard work. His wife, Christiana Obe, with whom he has been married since 2006, allegedly took out a loan without his consent, using the property as collateral. The couple both hail from Ogbadibo Local Government Area in Benue State.
It was learned on Saturday that the eviction was carried out by security operatives who stormed the property while Obe was on his way to Benue State. He received a call informing him that his house was being invaded by security personnel who had begun removing his belongings. Alarmed by the news, Obe immediately turned around and headed back to Abuja, abandoning his trip to Benue.
Upon arriving at the scene, Obe was confronted with a court document stating that the house had been seized due to an outstanding loan. Obe, however, told reporters from DAILY POST that he was blindsided by the entire situation, claiming that he had never been served any court notice prior to the eviction. His personal belongings were seen scattered across the streets, with military personnel and police officers overseeing the eviction process.
Visibly frustrated, Obe expressed disbelief at his wife’s actions, stating, “She has done her worst. This is a house I built with my hard-earned money.” Obe took to Facebook Live to further air his grievances, accusing his wife of colluding with officers to take over his property. He questioned how the court could confiscate the house without issuing him any prior notices or giving him the opportunity to contest the claim.
When asked if he had been involved in any discussions with the lenders, Obe firmly denied any knowledge of the loan. He insisted that he had not been contacted by the lenders and was unaware that his wife had taken out a loan using the house as collateral. Obe also revealed that his wife had taken their son away to an unknown location before the eviction, adding to the distress of the situation.
“I was never served. This was plotted by my wife and the officers that came. We have been having issues for a while and I think this is her best way of getting at me,” Obe stated. He reiterated his belief that the entire ordeal was orchestrated by his wife as part of an ongoing marital dispute.
In another startling development, it was revealed that Christiana, who serves as an officer in the Nigerian Air Force, had quietly removed some of her belongings, including air-conditioners, from the house prior to the eviction. Obe noted that he did not confront her at the time, preferring to avoid creating a scene. However, her actions now seem to have been part of a larger plan to vacate the property before the loan issue came to light.
Meanwhile, DAILY POST obtained copies of the court documents related to the eviction. According to the papers, the claimant alleged that they had been living in the duplex as tenants. The legal claims, however, have been called into question, with Obe and his supporters suspecting that the documents may have been falsified or obtained through improper means.
A family member who spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed disbelief and anger at Christiana’s actions. “Ewaoche (Obe) has invested a lot in this woman, even the job she currently has came from him. He saw this woman through school and has invested in her life in so many other ways. How do you connive with external persons to bring down a man you have lived with for more than two decades? How?” the family member lamented.
The relative went on to describe the situation as a clear case of oppression, pointing out that had the roles been reversed, the public outcry would have been different. “If this had happened to a woman, we would have said it’s because ‘na woman.’ But this is the direct opposite. How can a wife take a loan without informing her husband? Why did the lender not contact the owner of the property? Something is seriously missing in all of this.”
The family member also expressed skepticism about the legitimacy of the court papers, alleging that the eviction was carried out under suspicious circumstances. “We gathered that the court papers are all fake, and the people commissioned to carry out the eviction were mobilized illegally. We want the Air Force and the police to investigate the officers involved,” the family member demanded.
When contacted for comment, Christiana refused to provide any details, simply stating, “I am not under any obligation to speak to anyone.”
As the dust settles on this unfortunate incident, Obe is left grappling with the loss of his home and the betrayal by his wife. The situation has sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning how a wife could orchestrate the seizure of her husband’s property without his knowledge or consent.
The case is likely to prompt further investigations into the role of the lenders, the legitimacy of the court documents, and the involvement of security operatives in the eviction process.
