Dumo Yet To Fulfill Conditions For Release Of His Father’s Corpse, Says Seinye Lulu-Briggs

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

Mrs Seinye Lulu-Briggs, the widow of the late Oil Mogul, High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, has said that her stepson, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, is yet to fulfill the conditions laid down by a Ghanaian high court in order for the body of her husband to be released for burial.

In a statement on Sunday, Seinye said at no point did the judgement delivered by Justice Kyei Baffour ordered her to release the body of her husband rather the directive was issued to the mortuary and the police.

She stated that Dumo was ordered by the court to give the following binding unconditional undertakings: “That the delegation led by Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs that will convey the body of the deceased to Nigeria, should include two representatives of the Plaintiff/Widow, who should be part of the delegation that will convey the body to Nigeria

”That the family of the deceased, led by Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, will give a binding unconditional undertaking that, under no circumstance will the family allow or suffer the Plaintiff/Widow to undergo any cruel, inhumane or barbaric customary practices in Nigeria, when the body is conveyed.

”That the family, led by Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, will further undertake that the Plaintiff/Widow will be ably represented in the burial and funeral preparations, and will be allowed to play her role as a widow mourning her deceased husband.” The court went further to order the filing of the report of the autopsy done on the deceased, which has been done.

“Rather than comply with these pre-conditions, Dumo is circumventing the process by appealing against the release of the autopsy report. Mr. Dumo Lulu-Briggs has made and continues to make several attempts to obtain the body of his father without fulfilling any of the three preconditions imposed by the Court for burial. On the strength of this, Dr. Mrs. Seinye Lulu-Briggs appealed against the Court Judgement in order to stop Dumo from tearing open his father’s body yet again for his own sinister autopsy and use his already concocted and contrived result as the basis to attach his prepared charge of murder against her. This is why Dumo has appealed against the release of the autopsy result duly carried out by the Ghanaian Military.

“The report of the autopsy which Dumo was part of, will clearly show the cause of death of his father; something he has always demanded. Dumo himself instigated the autopsy done on his father and was part of the entire process. He had two representative pathologists during the exercise just like his stepmother did. One of his representative pathologists was Dr. Adedayo Faduyile, the current President of the Nigerian Medical Association. Both the Nigerian and Ghanaian Police were involved in the autopsy procedure. None of all these people, including Dumo’s representatives has said either privately or publicly that the autopsy was not properly done. In fact, the Ghanaian Police whom Dumo protested to after the autopsy, wrote to him that it was done according to the set standard.

“In appealing against the release of the autopsy report and seeking to carry out another autopsy done on his terms, Dumo intends to further desecrate the body of a man he never loved and in whose lifetime he made every conceivable effort to forcefully take ownership and control of his businesses. Opposing the release of the said autopsy report clearly shows he is not prepared to bury his father as has been said time and again.”

More than a year –December 27, 2018– when his oil mogul father, OB Lulu-Briggs died, Dumo, on behalf of his other siblings, has demanded inquest to ascertain the circumstance surrounding his death.

This has pitted Dumo against his Stepmom, Seinye, who had kicked against every move by Dumo to carry out an autopsy on their father to ascertain what actually led to his death.

The wealthy businessman and philanthropist died last December aboard a flight to Accra, Ghana.

He was aged 88.

The deceased’s extended family—Oruwari Briggs family of Abonema—has expressed sadness and embarrassment that their prominent son and patriarch’s remains have not been interred nearly a year after his demise.

“We are much more sad and embarrassed that his (Lulu-Briggs) mortal body is lying outside Nigeria in another country (Ghana). The custody of our paramount ruler has not been handed over to his adult able-bodied children, the chiefs and elders of the Oruwari (Briggs) House,” the family stated.

“More than anything else, this has led to the mutilation of the body of our paramount ruler because of the uncertain circumstance as to the true story of how and when he actually died which has become unknown to us because of the variety of statements.”

But Seinye, it was learnt, probably realizing the futility in fighting everyone over the funeral rites, has however capitulated and tendered apologies to her husband’s family and elders.

In a recent letter addressed to the Chiefs of Briggs Compound, Seinye had pleaded for understanding and apologized to the family over her past actions.

“What I prayed is that God Almighty may grant you grace to exhibit His counsel in your deliberations and decisions as it affects me and all my children. I pray also and ask for your forgiveness for any offence or perceived offence my words may have caused in your hearts during this period,” she wrote.

Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State Governor, has frowned at the lingering crises surrounding the funeral rites of one of Rivers State prominent citizens and the Kalabari high chief.

He has scolded those he accused of festering the crises for their own selfish gains.

The Rivers governor however offered the state government’s readiness to foot the bill of the entire funeral process and asked the gladiators to sheathe their swords.

This had made the two gladiators– Dumo and Seinye– to soft-pedal and agree to the commencement of preparations to give their patriarch a befitting burial with January 25, 2020 date chosen tentatively for the interment.