Police Inspector Appeals for Assistance to Lay Daughter to Rest After Breast Cancer Battle

Ugochukwu Emeharam, an Inspector of Police, has reached out to compassionate Nigerians for support in burying his daughter, who tragically lost her battle with breast cancer in March 2025.

Emeharam, who serves in the Works Department of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Imo Police Command, shared his story during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri.

According to him, his daughter Chisom was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer at the age of 24 after returning from Lagos in late 2024.

He recounted how he sought various treatment options for her, including traditional herbal remedies, prior to her admission to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Owerri, on January 27, 2025. This decision came after months of struggling to manage her condition since November 2024.

Emeharam has stated that he emptied his savings and incurred over N3.5 million in expenses trying to secure treatment for his daughter. The funds were raised through loans from a commercial bank and two fintech companies, along with the sale of his personal possessions.

Despite all his efforts, Chisom passed away in March 2025, and Emeharam now finds himself in dire financial straits, making it impossible to afford a proper burial without help.

“I had to secure the loans as I needed funds to cover the costs of daily oxygen and chemotherapy treatments,” he explained. “The expenses for oxygen, chemotherapy, and prescribed medications became unbearable.”

Emeharam further revealed that the loans are now deducting a significant portion of his salary, leaving him barely able to support his family and elderly parents.

“Even though I sacrificed everything for her, Chisom died, and the hospital now refuses to release her body because I owe N593,640,” he lamented.

Since her death, additional mortuary fees have accumulated, reaching N349,500 as of January 29.

“How can I find peace as a father when my child’s body is trapped in a mortuary for almost 11 months because of unpaid bills?” he questioned.

Emeharam expressed his grief, stating that he often senses his daughter’s spirit urging him to find closure. “I feel devastated every time I speak to her remains,” he shared, conveying the deep emotional pain of a father unable to lay his daughter to rest.

He stated that he has explored various avenues for financial support from both the police command and the state government, but to no avail. His community previously backed him during Chisom’s treatment, but now they wait for a burial date that he cannot arrange due to ongoing debts and his sorrow.

“If I’ve wronged anyone, I ask for forgiveness. I simply want to give my daughter a dignified burial,” he pleaded.

“This is a humble request from a father who has already lost his home, livelihood, and beloved child,” he mourned.

Additionally, a NAN correspondent managed to acquire medical documentation from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Owerri, confirming Emeharam’s account of the breast cancer treatment and the associated debts incurred during this difficult time.