“Why Did You Burn My Home?” — UK-Based Imo Woman Accuses Security Operatives Of Arson In Umuaka

August 30, 2025

Umuaka, Imo State — A United Kingdom–based Nigerian woman, Uchenna Owenu Odunze, has accused security operatives of burning down her family home in Umuezikeoha Uba, Umuaka, Imo State, on Monday, August 18, 2025. In a video testimony, Odunze said armed men in armored trucks—identified to her as personnel from Tiger Base, Owerri—arrived without warning, opened fire on the building, and set it ablaze, destroying all belongings, including properties she uses in the house that was shipped from the UK.

Odunze, daughter of Alphonsus Odunze, said she has not been in Nigeria for over ten years. She stressed that no one lived in the house, that her siblings reside in Lagos, and that the property was not rented.

“I Do Not Steal, I Am Not a Kidnapper”

Mrs. Odunze emphasized that neither she nor her siblings that she shares the house with have ever been involved in crime, stressing that her house was not occupied at the time of the attack because her siblings all live in Lagos.

“What did I do? I do not steal. I am not a blackmailer. I do not kidnap. None of my siblings is involved in the aforementioned. Why then did the government burn my house?” she asked.

She revealed that her motivation for making building the house her first priority after moving to the UK to study came from her family’s lack of a proper house despite coming from a large family, with his father married to two wives. While studying in the UK, she saved from her student finance and income from part-time jobs to enable her to acquire land and build the house that was now destroyed by the government.

“My mother gave birth to seven of us, I am the oldest, but my father eventually married a second wife. His second wife gave birth to children, although most of them passed away leaving her with two children, a man and a woman, but they don’t live in my house. Only myself and my siblings from my mother made use of the house, my step brother did not live there… My siblings all live in Lagos with their children… that is why the house is locked up” she recounted. “I did not rent the house to anyone, neither did I ask anyone to live and secure the house.”

Appeal to Governor Hope Uzodinma

In the video, Odunze directly called on Governor Hope Uzodinma to explain why security operatives under his administration targeted her property and has rendered her and her family homeless.

She argued that a proper investigation could have prevented such an unjust attack, stressing that if the security forces were truly after a criminal, they would have identified and pursued the individual rather than burning her house. Instead, they chose to destroy a home she has not set foot in for over ten years, largely because her financial struggles in the UK have prevented her from visiting.

Health Struggles and Financial Losses

Mrs. Odunze further revealed that she has been battling illness since 2021, when she contracted COVID-19, slipped into a coma, and later suffered a stroke that left half of her body paralyzed.

“I have been sick since 4 years, I contracted and became sick from COVID-19 in 2021, and since then I have not recovered, I became disabled on my leg as a result, adding to my huge financial challenges,” she lamented.

She bitterly described the destruction as devastating, saying that after sacrificing so much to build a home and enduring years of hardship abroad without any support from her government, she has now been left with nothing and no means to rebuild.

She also expressed concern for her children, her siblings, and their children, all of whom she says have been rendered homeless by the destruction.

A Stepbrother’s Shadow

While acknowledging that her stepbrother is allegedly involved in criminal activities, Odunze stressed that she has always opposed him, even reporting his actions to community leaders. She expressed outrage at the targeting of her family, saying, even if her stepbrother has committed crimes, it is the responsibility of the state security to go after him—not punish innocent family members. Targeting her house for his alleged actions is a blatant injustice, if that were to be the excuse.

Call for Justice

The incident raises serious concerns about the use of state power in Imo State and the growing reports of unreasonable and collective punishment by security operatives.

Mrs. Odunze is demanding:

• An official explanation from Governor Uzodinma and the Imo State government.
• Accountability from the security agencies responsible.
• Justice and restitution for the destruction of her home and property.

This is not just about her, this is about justice, fairness, and the right of every citizen to live without fear of their government as such incidence has become far too normal.

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