A widow, Mrs Chika Ndubuisi, has been rescued from drinking water used to bathe her husband’s corpse in Awo-Omamma, in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.
The widow was rescued from the hands of her husband’s kinsmen, who attempted to force her to drink the water used in bathing the corpse of her husband to prove her innocence over his death.
It was gathered that her husband’s kinsmen allegedly tried to compel her to drink from the water, but the swift intervention of the Commissioner, the Local Council Authority of the area, and security agencies halted the attempt following alerts raised by a women’s group.
The rescue followed an alarm raised by a women’s advocacy group, which drew the attention of the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, exposing the actions of the said kinsmen.
Speaking on the development, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Lady Nkechinyere Ugwu, condemned the act, describing it as an inhuman widowhood practice that has become outdated.
The Commissioner expressed shock that such a practice still exists in the present-day society, where a widow, already traumatised by the loss of her husband, would be coerced by her late husband’s kinsmen to partake in a ritual involving drinking from the water used in bathing his corpse.
She said, “Normalcy has been restored, and a detailed investigation is underway. The widow, Mrs Ndubuisi, and her children are under government protection.”
She frowned at the act, describing it as barbaric, cruel, and completely unacceptable in a civilised society.
Lady Ugwu stated that the Ministry’s action, in collaboration with the Chairman of the Local Council and some Non-Governmental Organisations, facilitated the rescue of the widow and her children. She confirmed that some arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, the wife of the state governor, Chioma Uzodinma, has directed an immediate and comprehensive investigation to ensure that those responsible face the full weight of the law.
Salient Times had reported that the widow, who was detained with her husband’s corpse, was accused by her in-laws of being responsible for his death.
