The Women Affairs Commissioner, Ify Obinabo, revealed that the ministry acted promptly upon receiving a directive from Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his wife. The goal was to rescue, rehabilitate, and reunite Ms. Okpala with her family.

In a statement posted on the ministry's social media page, it was highlighted that Mrs. Soludo personally assured Okpala over the phone that the state government would not abandon her. She promised the former tennis champion the best treatment and rehabilitation to aid her recovery and eventual reintegration into society.

Ms. Okpala, hailing from Nkpologwu in Aguata Local Government Area of the state, shared her harrowing experience with the first lady. She revealed that despite being a US-based tennis champion, she succumbed to the influence of bad peers and became addicted to crack cocaine. She also disclosed her struggle to cope with the loss of her mother to cancer a few years ago.

The statement further revealed that Ms. Okpala, educated both in and outside the country, has a 6-year-old daughter currently residing with her father in Nkpologwu. Expressing her desire to reunite with her daughter, she sought the governor's wife's assistance.

With this proactive intervention by the Anambra State Government, there is hope that Tania Ijeoma Okpala will receive the necessary support for her recovery and be able to rebuild her life.