The Ekechi Anyoku family of Imerienwe has announced the passing of its revered matriarch, Ezinne Lolo Beatrice Nwaogbo Ekechi, who died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 95.
The family said she passed on quietly in Owerri, the Imo State capital, leaving behind a legacy deeply rooted in faith, discipline, and community service that spanned generations.
In a statement signed on behalf of the family and the Imerienwe community by Chief T.O.E. Ekechi, a former board member representing the South East in the North East Development Commission and a onetime APC Presidential Campaign Council director, the family described her death as the close of a remarkable chapter in their history.
The late matriarch was the wife of the late Okenze Tobias Ukachukwu Ekechi, who died in 2012 at the age of 92, and the mother of Eze Augustine Uwadiegwu Ukachukwu Ekechi, the paramount ruler of the Imerienwe autonomous community.
Widely regarded as a moral compass in her community, Ezinne Beatrice Ekechi was known for championing socio-economic self-reliance, lifelong learning, and the dignity of labour, values she consistently impressed upon both young and old.
Reflecting on her life, Chief Ekechi said the family was grateful for a mother who, despite living with the effects of a debilitating stroke for three decades, remained steadfast in guiding a family anchored on integrity, hard work, contentment, and the fear of God.
A devout Catholic until her final moments, she is survived by six children, 26 grandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren, many of whom are active contributors to society.
Funeral rites will begin with a service of songs on Friday, January 2, 2026, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Pro-Cathedral, Imerienwe, followed by a requiem mass on Saturday, January 3, and a thanksgiving service on Sunday, January 4, as family and well-wishers gather to honour a life that shaped a community.
