Seinye Lulu-Briggs accuses stepson of peddling falsehood against her

Widow of the founder of Moni Pulo Limited, High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, Seinye has discredited statements made against her person by stepson, Dumo Lulu-Briggs over the late Lulu-Briggs.

The widow in a statement she personally signed and made available to newsmen in reaction to Dumo’s interview on Rhythm FM in Port-Harcourt (Conducted on Saturday, 18th January, 2020) chronicled lies peddled by her stepson targeted at maligning her person.

Her words, “I was greatly dismayed as I listened to the lies and disinformation of my son Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs concerning the crisis he has created in our family including the non-burial of his father, High Chief Dr. O. B. Lulu-Briggs, my beloved husband of blessed memory, on a radio station in Port Harcourt on Saturday, the 18th of January 2020. I also listened with the divine peace that our God Almighty gives, the reactions of people to his fabrications.

Ordinarily, having already reluctantly published facts earlier about the painful truth regarding the troubled relationship between my three older sons and the family as well as their father, I would have ignored Dumo’s lies. However, upon deep reflection, I have decided as a mark of respect to the memory of my dear late husband, the people of Rivers State and the entire nation, to debunk Dumo’s deception in order to provide clarity on most of the issues.

We are all sons and daughters of the Most High God, who Himself is the Truth. I therefore pray that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes and understanding to see and embrace the truth on this matter. I want peace and I stand for peace and equity/justice- ‘Paix Pacis et Aequitas’ – my husband’s motto- which sums up the philosophy by which he guided our family.

“First, it is not true that I have custody of my husband’s body. If it were so, the December 23, 2019 Ghana court order that Dumo referred to would have directed me to release the body. Rather, it directs the Ghana Police and mortuary to release his body to the family by custom, led by Dumo Lulu-Briggs once the following preconditions have been met: 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 circumstances 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 the funeral preparations, and will be allowed to play her role as a widow mourning her deceased husband.”

“Unfortunately Dumo has not met the above Court imposed preconditions to allow his father be buried.

“It is also not true that Dumo and his brothers, Senibo and Sofiri, do not have or have been denied access to their father’s body. Soon after my husband passed into Glory at the Kotoka International Airport Clinic, Accra, Ghana on the 27th of December 2018, I notified Dumo and all our children. Dumo and his brothers arrived in Ghana the next evening. The following day, 29th of December, our family went to the mortuary to pay respects to our fallen patriarch. I introduced my older sons to the staff of Transitions Mortuary as my children and also those of the deceased and indicated that they could directly contact them and vice versa as needed. Indeed, on that basis, Dumo and his brothers visited the mortuary again without me and were granted access. Senibo and Dumo commissioned and have since taken to the funeral home, a tailor-made casket that will be used to convey my husband’s body back home to Nigeria for interment. Dumo has also been communicating with Transitions staff directly without the requirement of any form of permission from me. I wonder why he wants the world to believe otherwise.”