The Luke Chibueze Adonwe Human, LACH Foundation has intervened in the case of Mrs. Mary Ngojon, also known as Mary Ezaka, a former federal civil servant who has lived on the streets of Abakaliki for more than a decade after losing her job.
Founder and Chairman of the Foundation, Barrister Luke Chibueze Adonwe, told journalists in Abakaliki on Monday that Mary was discovered in appalling conditions at the Abakaliki International Market, where she had survived without proper shelter, food or hygiene since 2014.
“She has not had a proper bath since August 2014, and as of this August 2025, it makes eleven years.
“She has no home, no income, and survives by picking food debris from the dustbin. Her life is the very definition of broken humanity, and we felt compelled to intervene," she said.
Adonwe explained that the intervention is part of the Foundation’s mission to restore human dignity.
He said the group is working in partnership with organizations such as Beauty of Love International Ministries, Ogodo Kwanri Farmers Nigeria Limited and Live Well Abakaliki, among others to rehabilitate her.
Investigations showed that Mary was employed at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in July 2002 and rose to Salary Grade Level 06/01 before her disengagement on August 15, 2012.
A letter dated June 13, 2013, directed that she should be assisted to process her retirement benefits, but she is yet to access them.
Mary told reporters she became homeless after losing her job. “When they disengaged us in 2012, I had nowhere to stay. I lost touch with my relatives and since then, I have been surviving by picking things from the dustbin,” she said.
According to her, officials often dismissed her attempts to process her benefits because of her appearance. “Because of how I look, they treat me like a mad person,” she added.
Adonwe disclosed that the Foundation has provided her with clothing, toiletries and some money as part of her rehabilitation, while plans are underway to secure proper accommodation for her. He said the Foundation’s legal department will also take steps to recover her pension entitlements.
“According to her, the last time she accessed any pension was in 2018. Our legal team will take up her case to ensure she receives her benefits,” he stated.
Mary’s case is one of many linked to a retrenchment exercise that affected over 4,000 workers following directives tied to the Biometric Identity Card policy.
Despite her ordeal, she expressed gratitude for the intervention. “The clothes I wore before were from the dustbin. Now I have something clean to wear, and for the first time in many years, I feel human again,” she said.
The LACH Foundation said its intervention highlights the need for collective responsibility in supporting vulnerable citizens.
