By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Twenty years after their daughter, sister, aunt and niece mysteriously left home and never returned, the family of late Chief Augustine Nwosu Maduka of Umuru Village, Ebenesi, Nnobi, in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has decided and also announced plans to hold a funeral for her, despite still not knowing her whereabouts or what happened to her.
The missing woman, identified as Miss Nneka Nwosu, reportedly left home on December 31, 2006, at the age of 22, and has neither returned nor been found anywhere since then, leaving her family in prolonged anguish, uncertainty and years of fruitless efforts to locate her.
In a funeral announcement released by the family, the relatives described the past two decades as years of pain, sorrow, prayers, tears and unfulfilled hopes, recounting how they had continued to expect Nneka to one day walk back into her father’s compound.
According to the emotional account accompanying the funeral announcement, the family had spent a fortune searching for her and pursuing different leads, including falling victim to people who allegedly took advantage of their desperation by claiming to know how to help them find her.
The family also recalled that their grandmother, Chiugo, died in December 2007 while still waiting for Nneka’s return, while their father, Nze Chinemelu, also reportedly died in December 2012 without seeing his daughter again.
Recounting how much had changed in the family since her disappearance, the relatives disclosed that the five brothers who had no children as at that 2006 she left, were now fathers to 22 children, while four more children had also been added to the households of her sisters.
They further noted that the brothers, who were then young and struggling to establish themselves, had since made names for themselves, while their father’s compound had undergone significant changes over the years, developments they wished Nneka could return to witness.
The family lamented that, beyond the emotional pain of her disappearance, they had also endured mockery from people who taunted them and repeatedly asked about the whereabouts of their sister.
Explaining the decision to proceed with the funeral, the family said tradition demanded that a person who had remained missing for 20 years be given a befitting burial, adding that they had resolved to fulfil the traditional rites despite the uncertainty surrounding her fate.
However, the family made an emotional appeal to Nneka to return home if she was still alive and had only been staying away from them. They also expressed hope that if she was being held somewhere against her will, God would set her free and bring her back to the family.
The relatives further prayed that if she was no longer alive, her soul would find eternal rest, while expressing their enduring desire to see her again, even after two decades of searching and waiting.
The funeral arrangements announced by the family indicate that a vigil Mass will hold on Friday, November 27, 2026, at the compound of late Chief Augustine Nwosu’s family in Umuru, Ebenesi, Nnobi, at 5pm.
The funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday, November 28, 2026, at the same family compound by 10am, while the Thanksgiving and Outing Mass will take place on Sunday, November 29, at St. Paul Catholic Church, Umuru, Ebenato, Ebenesi, Nnobi, at 10am.
The funeral announcement was signed on behalf of the family by Mr. Chukwudi Nwosu, Mr. Azubuike Nwosu, Mr. Okwudili Nwosu, Mr. Obinna Nwosu and Mr. Oliver Nwosu.
Even as the family prepares to observe the traditional and religious rites, they further reiterated their appeal for Nneka’s return open, expressing hope that wherever she may be, she could still find her way back home.
