"Nigerians, please stop attacking my mum": Son of second wife accused of mistreating Mrs Anulika in Ukehe speaks out
The son of the second wife at the centre of the viral Ukehe controversy has spoken out, begging Nigerians to stop attacking his mother.
"Is it not enough already?"
"Nigerians, please stop attacking my mum. Is it not enough already? That woman does not deserve all this hate," he said.
"Do you want her to die? If anything happens to my mum, you people won't like it. Please, this is enough."
How it started
His mother has faced a wave of criticism online since a video from his father's Ozo title-taking ceremony went viral. In the video, the second wife's children reportedly refused to spray money on the first wife, Mrs Gertrude Anulika Ngwu, despite repeated appeals from the master of ceremonies.
Claims then spread online that Mrs Anulika had endured years of mockery over being childless and had moved back to her father's home. Those claims have not been independently verified.
Since then, well-wishers have visited Mrs Anulika with gifts and money, and the Enugu governor's wife sent a representative with cash and promises of a house and a business.
The other side of the story
The son's plea is a reminder that there are always two sides to a family story, and that online anger can quickly turn into harassment.
Sympathy for Mrs Anulika is understandable. But insults and threats against another woman, whose side of the story has not been heard, help no one. Families caught up in viral moments are still real people.
Over to you
Has the online reaction to the Ukehe video gone too far? Can Nigerians support Mrs Anulika without attacking the other family?
- The second wife's son says his mother is being attacked online.
- He asked Nigerians to stop the hate.
- The claims against his mother have not been verified.
