By John Egbokhan, Benin City
The wish of late Thompson Oliha to rest in
peace seems a dream too far going by
dramatic events that unfolded yesterday during
his burial ceremony here in the ancient city of
Benin.
After the lying-in-state held at the Samuel
Ogbemudia Stadium, which featured a novelty
match between selected former Eagles
teammates and the Kwara Football Academy,
his place of last appointment, not a few
persons who proceeded to his Upper Sakponba
residence for the interment, had a premonition
of the confusion that was to come.
After the convoy of vehicles navigated through
the traffic-littered roads of Benin and got to the
house built by the former Super Eagles
midfielder, the drama of what to come started
unfolding as the mourners, comprising family
members, ex-teammates, friends and relatives
disembarked to discover that the grave for the
deceased was close to the toilet outside the
premises.
Late Thompson Oliha
Shocked and bewildered with what they saw,
some friends and relatives objected to the
burial place. They said that Benin tradition was
against burying a man who had properties
outside his compound.
They smelt foul-play and accused the
immediate brothers and sisters of attempting to
play a smart one on the wives and children left
behind by Oliha, who they said deserved to be
buried in one of the rooms built by him as a
mark of respect or better still in the front
corridor.
They said that they were not going to allow
Oliha’s brothers have their way on the grave,
demanding that the already dug grave be
closed while a new one be dug in the front
corridor.
As the diggers were closing the grave, a mild
fracas broke out as the eldest sons of Oliha
family, Ayo, came out to direct that the diggers
discontinue the closing up of the grave.
But the protesting friends and relatives
threatened to deal with him should he carry out
the order, insisting that the Benin tradition on
burial of men with properties be respected.
Ayo Oliha, in a final attempt to have his way,
told the protesters that the decision to bury
Thompson at the back side of his house was
well thought-out. He explained that the family
plans to build a tombstone later so that people
can visit him to pay their respects.
But one of the protesters fired back that the
tombstone would even look better and
command more attention of people in the front
corridor.
He alleged that the earlier plan to bury Oliha
close to the toilet outside the premises was for
family members to have opportunity to dispose
off the property of the deceased.
“If we allow you to bury him outside, you
people will sell this house and that would not
be good for the wives and kids that he left
behind.
But as he is going to be buried here, this house
is secured from any sale because nobody buys
a house where the owner was buried in Benin,”
said Modecia Isibor, Thompson Oliha’s best
friend .
As these scenes were unfolding, the two
women who had children for the former Eagles
midfielder were sobbing. They knew that the
fight was for them.
Isibor said that Oliha had four houses in
Nigeria, wondering why a man with such
properties would be buried in such a manner.
“In Benin City, he had two houses, he had one
in Lagos and he was already building another
one in Ilorin, before he died on June 30”, he
said.
In the heat of the raging storm, the Oliha family
beat a retreat and a new grave was dug in the
front corridor where Oliha was buried at 6.30
p.m. amidst tears and wailing yesterday.
Another friend of the deceased, alleged that the
Oliha’s family were already demaning for the
release of the landed documents of the former
Bendel Insurance player.
“I do not know why they want the documents. I
guess they want to sell his properties but after
this burial, I would run away and they would
not see me again. We have to secure the future
of this young children and wives he left behind”,
he said.
It was learnt that the late Oliha did not legalise
his union with his two wives, a development
that has made them object of target by the
Oliha clan.
One friend said that Oliha’s biggest mistake
was his failure to legalise his union with his two
women, Ajara and Iris, both of whom were seen
with their kids yesterday.
Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/confusion-breaks-out-at-olihas-funeral/

Some of the things we take for granted during our life time, has a way of coming after us in death.
Look at the trouble this man left for these women and their children.
Come to think of it self, why will a woman keep breeding children for a man who is not legally her husband ?
How can they fight for what is legally theirs, when they're not legal themselves ?

^^^Women no dey hear.Can't you get a man to marry you properly?
Anyway where money is involved,some women accept anything.

In a society that this kind of thing happen daily, a Nobel Laureate opened his mouth and call the president's wife, 'domestic appendage'.

What will the family of Oliha call these women and their children?
Illegal domestic appendage to properties.

There is need for proper legislation to protect widows and their children, legally married or not?

A rather disheartening event

Thank goodness for good friends...those women and kids would have been messed up.

The fight is not over though.

Some families do have them, i swear. I reject owning such an extended family IJN. Meanwhile, men and women should do what is legit and legal and stop creating confusions after they have departed. Imagine if he had a Will. No body would have dared take away whatever he willed to any of his wives or kids. A lesson in life for those of us still living.

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