A woman has written the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa and others who may be of help in getting her aunt and her four children out of Malaysia as they were stranded there.
The woman, whose X handle is @wura_caboodlez, wrote the trauma her aunt was going through, saying she has endured 19 years of physical and emotional abuse in her marriage.
She added that though the woman, whose name she didn’t mention, is now divorced, she and her children have been stranded in Malaysia since 2024 with deteriorating health and no way to return to Nigeria.
She wrote: “For 19 years, my aunt endured physical and emotional abuse in her marriage. Several times, when things became unbearable, she fled to her mother in Nigeria, only to return after family reconciliation.
“She was not allowed to work and was financially dependent on her husband. Her four children also struggled to receive consistent schooling.
“Twice, she followed her husband to Malaysia, and during both periods, she suffered physical abuse, including repeated blows and punches to her head. She had nobody there to turn to. Eventually, the family returned to Nigeria.
“In 2023, her husband went back to Malaysia. My aunt and the children remained in Nigeria for about a year and nine months. During this period, the children were at home receiving private/home tuition.
“Her husband eventually asked them to join him in Malaysia. They were afraid because of the abuse she had previously suffered there and because the children feared their education would again be neglected.
“They told him their fears. He promised that things would be different and that the children would be enrolled in school.
“My aunt was also told not to tell anyone about their plans. She obeyed because she believed she was simply obeying her husband. She only informed her mother at the airport and asked her to tell the rest of the family. They arrived in Malaysia in 2024.
“Within weeks, the emotional abuse began again. The children were not enrolled in the school they had been promised, and their schooling was disrupted again. The family became increasingly distressed and depressed.
“They were also frequently denied medical care despite access to free medical services. Then my aunt began passing blood in her stool.
“For almost three months, she suffered while trying to get proper medical attention. When she realised her husband was not taking her condition seriously, she begged to be sent back to Nigeria for treatment. He refused.
“She asked him for a divorce so she could return to her family and seek medical care. He refused that too. Then the physical abuse started again.
“She reported the matter to the police and asked for help returning to Nigeria with her children. She was advised to report the situation to his place of work and request repatriation. Before she could even take the police report there, her husband divorced her.
“He subsequently informed his workplace that they were divorced and attempted to have my aunt removed/deported from the school where she and the children were staying.
“She continued to pass blood in her stool and repeatedly sought help from family members and the Nigerian authorities.
“Eventually, she was able to undergo a colonoscopy, but she said she was not given proper access to a doctor for the post-procedure follow-up. Since then, the family has remained stranded.
“She has contacted family members, the Nigerian embassy and others for help. She has been told by people involved that there is little they can do, while her former husband has portrayed her as mentally unstable.
“Meanwhile, her health and the children’s health continue to deteriorate. She said she cannot sleep on her right side because of her health problems, and two of her children are now suffering from high blood pressure.
“They have been trying to return to Nigeria since last year but have repeatedly encountered obstacles.
“A Nigerian envoy has advised her to take the matter to Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa. That is why I am making this appeal publicly. We need help getting my aunt and her four children safely back to Nigeria.
“They need urgent intervention, medical attention, legal assistance and safe repatriation. Our family has tried everything we know.
“My aunt’s siblings and other family members have been trying to help. Her mother has been crying and praying for a way to bring her daughter and grandchildren home.
“If anyone has a direct channel to the relevant Nigerian authorities, especially Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa or the appropriate Nigerian diplomatic authorities in Malaysia, please help us reach them.
“If you can assist with their safe return, legal support, medical support or emergency funds, please reach out. We do not want her to continue suffering in silence. May Allah reward everyone who helps us.”
As of the time of this report, both Dabiri-Erewa and NIDCOM are yet to respond to her appeal.
