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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Crime / Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US (1544 Views)
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Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by tsamson(m): 7:17am On Mar 12, 2016 |
Ten years ago, Philemon Ihediwa wrote, starred, directed
and produced his first movie in the United States. He was
one of few Nigerians in the Diaspora that ventured into
Hollywood. His movie, CONGO BOY IN THE CITY, featured
Nollywood movie stars like Kanayo. O. Kanayo and Madam
Gee. Through the years, Philemon struggled to release the
epic movie, but was constantly disturbed by the challenges
of his divorce and child support payments. He became
heartbroken, reclusive and rejected by his children. Ihed, as
he was widely known in the US, was chased by the agonies
and trauma of child support harassment, allegedly fuelled
by his ex- wife’s several court cases against him, in concert
with the North Carolina Child support enforcement.
He changed jobs occasionally, as he struggled to pay
whopping child support monthly bills. In 2013, Ihed lost
everything. He was near homeless, barely living in his
storage: he hid his pains and troubles from those close to
him until a family member mistakenly found out he was
hanging onto life where he stored his little possessions. The
family member offered him a place to start life anew.
Sometimes in the spring of 2015, Ihed moved to this small
road town, Smithfield. He wanted to be far from years of
sad memories from his marriage: he began recovery from
rejection by his children. He relocated to a small town of
Smithfield, North Carolina. On Saturday evening, police
found his bloated body in his apartment. He fell on the floor
in his bathroom, hitting his head against the bathtub.
Monday evening, Ihed, during a telephone conversation
with his female friend, Louise Gorsham, who lived “across
town”, hinted that he was not feeling well and would retire
to bed early. Ms. Gorsham pleaded with him to call her
when he woke up at sunrise. He agreed and they both
wished each other goodnight.
“The next day, I called several times throughout the day but
he did not respond to my call. I sent text messages. No
response. I waited till Wednesday to repeat calls and text
messages. I did not hear from him. I was also at work. By
Saturday afternoon, after I closed from work, I pleaded
with a coworker to drive me to Ihed’s apartment in
Smithfield, a thirty minutes ride from Raleigh. I was mad at
him. I thought he was ignoring my calls on purpose, might
be he had found another lady. But when I got to his
apartment, I noticed his car was in his parking space. I
began to smell stench coming from his door. I knew
something wasn’t right.
“Immediately, I called the Smithfield Police department and
requested a welfare check on my friend. The police arrived
few minutes later, broke into his apartment and found him
dead on the floor, bloated and oozing. My friend died lonely
from a broken heart and years of pains from being denied
relationships with his children. He loved those kids. Ihed
told me many times that his wife had, through the years,
barred his children from visiting him. She set them up
against their dad while she was busy collecting heavy child
support. That man was a very great man. All he wanted was
to be a good father to his children. But his ex wife was in
the way. Now he is gone.”
Smithfield medical examiner’s office determined that the
causes of death were seizure and possible heart attack. It
was recorded that “his body was bloated and near
decomposition when he was found in his bathroom. The
heat in the apartment accelerated decomposition process.”
The medical Examiner also concluded that Ihed might have
died five days earlier.
Unconfirmed sources say Smithfield police tried several
times to reach his ex-wife but she did not return calls
placed to her cell phone. His body was deposited in the
morgue pending notification of his next of kin, his children,
especially the first son.
The Nigerian community in RTP in association with Ngwa
Association, on Monday attempted to move his remains to a
funeral home to prepare him for burial. But the funeral
home indicated that it would only honour the wishes of the
family and not community members; to protect itself from
any legal fallout. The ex-wife and their first son refused to
participate in the burial of their father. On Wednesday
afternoon, after several pleas from members of the
community to the ex-wife to encourage his 19-year-old first
son, sign a release form allowing the community to be
responsible for Ihed’s funeral, the ex-wife and first son,
George Uche, met Jebose Boulevard at a funeral home to
relinquish their rights for the final disposition of their late
father.
Jebose Boulevard assumed the right to bury Mr. Ihediwa.
This refusal confirmed the conversations trending in this
small town that the children rejected and refused Mr.
Ihediwa as their father. Jebose Boulevard, Ngwa and the
Nigerian community moved his body to the funeral home.
Nigerians in the Research Triangle Park are infuriated about
the sad death and circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Family and close members are theorising on what drove
him to early death. A member of his extended family, who
chose to be anonymous, stated angrily, “Ihed spent every
month of the last ten years being taken to family court in
Wake County by his ex-wife for child support payment and
arrears. He paid about $1,400 in monthly child support to
that lady. She dragged him through the system. Ihed
worked very hard and suffered to pay child support. The ex-
wife accused him of being a superstar, rich and wealthy.
This man had his talent and creativity that couldn’t fetch
him money because he was abused and stressed by the ex-
wife. She took him to the cleaners. He is dead now. What
else would she claim?”
What was a bedroom whisper, gossip and innuendo had
within few days of his death, become a trending
conversation in most Africa’s community melting pots here,
grocery stores, or social gatherings, reiterating the heavy
child support monthly payments to his wife.
Court documents obtained confirmed several court cases
filed by plaintiff (Stella Ihediwa) against defendant
(Philemon. N. Ihediwa) with regards to various child
support litigations (Case File: 06CV018338). The child
support case was still ongoing until his death. In a recent
court case filed on April 2014, the court upheld an earlier
ruling of $859.00 order against Ihed as child support.
Arrears as of April 16th 2014 was $5,664.11.
Between 2007 and 2014, Ihed child support ranged from
$1,300 to $859.00, depending on his employment. He also
filed few cases seeking child support adjustment, as his
employment status changed.
Ihediwa and Stella were married in 1996. The marriage was
blessed with three boys. Ten years after their marriage, the
couple separated on June 23, 2006. The state of North
Carolina granted them certificate of absolute divorce on
June 18, 2010. |
Re: Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by Nobody: 7:17am On Mar 12, 2016 |
ok |
Re: Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by cbngov25: 7:21am On Mar 12, 2016 |
Uruakpa eh! Dis na epistle 1 Like |
Re: Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by wiloy2k8(m): 7:24am On Mar 12, 2016 |
Oka |
Re: Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by Exodus2k(m): 7:28am On Mar 12, 2016 |
Man inhumanity to man, RIP |
Re: Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by Kondomatic(m): 7:34am On Mar 12, 2016 |
A 21st century Delilah just wasted another Samson. Karma will visit that woman someday and it shall reveal her true color to her kids, they will hate her and she will die miserably. |
Re: Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by delishpot: 7:40am On Mar 12, 2016 |
Marriage wahala. But the woman sef. What did he do to make her want to milk child support to the last dime from him? Any parent that keeps a child from his/her other parent for no morally justifiable reason needs to be jailed. Anyhoe, the hang all women crew will ussualy say the wife pushed him in spirit while in the bathroom. Biko for those with sense, bathroom deaths are very common. Make sure your bathrooms and bathtubs have non slip floors or mats. It may happen to anyone even the most happiest married man on earth. His death was an accident. No one killed him |
Re: Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by Swissheart(f): 7:44am On Mar 12, 2016 |
What a loss. She should eat up his corpse |
Re: Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by White007(m): 7:46am On Mar 12, 2016 |
And after milking the man dry, she couldn't even allow the man to see his children, that was vey cruel. This woman is evil, tufiakwa!!!! |
Re: Nigerian Movie Maker Found Dead In Bathroom In The US by tsamson(m): 11:21am On Mar 12, 2016 |
Kondomatic: Lol.. Is this funny or Not? CC: Mynd44, OAM4J |
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