Gov Chime Tells Why He Placed His Wife Under House Arrest

Enugu State Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, has defended the confinement of his wife, Clara, in the Government House, Enugu, saying he did it to protect her.

Chime, reacting to a petition by his wife to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in which she sought its intervention to free her from “unlawful custody”, told reporters in Enugu Tuesday night that the confinement was based on the advice of her personal doctor, Dr. Aham Agomuo, due to her peculiar health challenges in the last four years.

Chime spoke during an interaction with journalists in the Government House in the presence of his wife; Agomuo, a neuro-psychiatric expert; the governor's brother in-law, Tony Igwe, and the governor’s siblings, Mrs. May Oji and Dr. Jide Chime. Also present were the governor’s security detail.

Mrs. Chime, during the session, also denied engaging a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), or any other lawyer to take up the matter on her behalf.

However, she informed those at the gathering that a friend of hers did so on her behalf in order to “fight her cause”.

“Why would I want my wife locked up? If it had been that I had issues with her, there are many ways to resolve them. But that’s not the case. She is not well and I’m willing to do anything to support and protect her,” Chime said.