Ebonyi Deputy Governor’s Daughter-In-Law Appeals for Access to Two Young Children After Eight-Week Separation
Victoria Okoro, wife of Francis Obila, son of Ebonyi State Deputy Governor Patricia Obila, has made a public appeal for the restoration of access to her two young children after what she describes as an eight-week separation from them. Okoro made the appeal in a statement posted on her Facebook page on Monday, August 17, 2026, explaining that she had deliberately remained silent since June 21, when the separation began, in the hope that the matter could be resolved privately and peacefully. According to her account, her second child was barely three months old at the time of the separation, while her first child was just one year and six months old.
In her lengthy Facebook post, Okoro explained that she and her husband separated on June 21, at a point when their younger child was barely three months old and their elder child was a year and six months old. She stated that out of respect for the individuals connected to the family issue, and in the hope that peace would ultimately prevail, she chose to remain silent for the eight weeks that followed, despite what she described as unsuccessful attempts to gain access to her children during that period. She was careful to clarify that her extended silence should not be misread as either weakness or quiet acceptance of the situation.
Okoro stressed that she had remained silent for as long as she did because she genuinely wanted peace, explaining that she had respected private conversations throughout the process because she believed reason would eventually prevail. She maintained firmly that silence should not be mistaken for weakness, just as patience should not be mistaken for consent to the ongoing situation. She further noted that eight weeks represents an unusually long period for any mother to be separated from her children, particularly children as young as hers.
Okoro indicated that she intended simply to tell her story and present the facts as she experienced them, allowing the public to understand what had been unfolding behind the scenes over the preceding eight weeks, stressing that her children deserved better than to remain caught in the middle of the situation and that she could no longer stay silent while that continued. She tagged her estranged husband, the deputy governor and other officials of the Ebonyi State Government directly in the post. Okoro went on to appeal directly to her husband, Francis Obila, and his mother, urging both of them to agree to what she described as a peaceful and immediate resolution that would restore her access to and custody of the children.
Responding to the public appeal, a statement issued by the deputy governor’s media aide, Ogbonna Ewa, on Tuesday indicated that the matter was already receiving appropriate attention, having been referred to an unnamed branch of the Catholic Church as well as the state commissioner for women affairs. According to the statement, these institutions carry the responsibility of handling family and welfare matters with fairness, confidentiality and respect for all parties involved.
Patricia Obila, a native of Nkpoghoro in Afikpo, has served as Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State since May 29, 2023, under Governor Francis Nwifuru, and previously served two terms as vice chairman of Afikpo North local government area. The unfolding situation involving her son’s family has drawn public attention to a private domestic matter now playing out partly in the public sphere, with both sides indicating that established institutional channels are currently engaged in efforts toward resolution. As of the latest available information, no further public statement has been issued indicating whether access to the children has since been restored.
This is a sensitive topic involving a family separation dispute. If this story raises personal concerns for you, please consider speaking with someone you trust or a relevant support professional.
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