• Lady, 20, hints about her death on May 4th

• Four days later she dies and she is buried without the knowledge and consent of her family

• Family petitions police over the incident

Questions begging for answers have surrounded the death of a 20-year-old lady named Margeret Adiya Ikumu from Idoma, Benue State.

No information on the cause of her death, and why her friends would bury her with the knowledge, let alone, consent of her family.

The family of the late Margrett have submitted a petition to the police at the weekend. Having read about her death on her Facebook page.

According to reports gathered by The Nation, late Margret left the village last year with no one knowing her whereabouts.

It was gathered that she lived her early years in the city with an inlaw who brought her back to the village after she finished her secondary education.

However, Ikumu returned to Lagos with her family oblivious of her whereabouts; moreover, she did not go to any of her relatives.

It was after the discovery of her death that they realised she was living with her friends, Marvellous Mary and Nneka Buddy whose Facebook accounts that have now been deactivated.

Tony Iji signed the petition which was written by the family and dated 15th May.

The family claimed to have seen the obituary comments on their sister’s Facebook wall, after which they tried calling her mobile phone but it has been switched off.

They had also contacted one of the ladies who claimed to have lived together with the late Margret.

The lady sent pictures of a wrapped body and a casket telling them Ikumu was to be buried on Thursday.

“It was Marvellous Mary we were in touch with on her number 0704****026.

According to the family, Marvellous sent a note that Margaret authorised them to bury her when she died and that they should not allow us (the family) access to her body.

The family said, “We do not know what killed her nor what would have made her leave such a note, that’s if indeed she did.

“She told us they were burying her on Thursday and that she died on Monday.

“The lady insulted family members and accused us of not taking care of our sister when she was alive.

“We are still in shock over all that has happened and do not understand it yet.

“When we insisted, the lady threatened to destroy the sim card she used to chat us so that we cannot reach her again. They also deactivated their Facebook accounts.

“All efforts we made to locate them in order to stop the burial were unsuccessful.

“We sent people around Lekki and Ajah areas with her photograph and other things we believed she could be identified by but no one knew her.

“We contacted the police in Ajah but were told that since we do not know the exact location, it might not be within their jurisdiction.

“So, we had to petition the Commissioner of Police on Friday,” Iji told reportedly told The Nation’s Correspondent on the telephone.

The family said it made contact with another person named Sylvester. He claimed to be Margaret’s boyfriend.

“The other person with little information about late Margaret is one Sylvester who claimed to be her boyfriend,” the family said.

“He said that he learnt about the death of Margaret through Marvelous and Nneka but does not know where they live, though he is aware that late Margaret was living with them.

“To this end, the family is in a state of dilemma on how to get to the root of the story surrounding her demise.

“This has cost the family of late Margaret a lot of trauma, especially her mother who is insisting on seeing the body of her daughter if she is truly dead.

“We therefore appeal to the police authority under your leadership to wade in by investigating the incident with the view to establishing the facts and circumstances surrounding her death and eventual burial without the knowledge and consent of her family,” it said.

Posts on Ikumu’s Facebook page showed that she might have suggested her death on May 4 with her last post: “Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth. Who knows if this will be my last smile.

A source who requested to remain anonymous said the late Margaret was a hairstylist and worked at Marvellous Mary’s saloon on the island.

“I do not want my name in print please. I am too young for all these. What I know is that Margaret was sick.

“She was bleeding from the nose and was to undergo nose surgery. I do not know if she died in the cause of the surgery or before or after it.

“She worked at the woman’s saloon and lived at her place. I think there were issues with her family but she did not open up much.

Efforts to reach Marvellous and Nneka proved abortive and their Facebook pages, not yet known as of the time of the report.

When contacted, spokesman for the police Command Bala Elkana confirmed that the petition was received, adding that investigation was ongoing.