Woman Ordered to Drink Water Used to Bathe Dead Husband to Prove Innocence, Gov't Weighs In
- Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma orders an investigation after a widow was nearly forced to drink corpse water in Awo-Omamma community
- The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Nkechi Ugwu, led security operatives and civil groups to rescue the widow and stop the barbaric ritual
- The state government vows strict punishment for those involved and reaffirms zero tolerance for harmful traditional practices against women
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has condemned the attempted enforcement of a banned widowhood ritual in Oru East Local Government Area, where relatives of a deceased man tried to force his wife to drink the water used in washing his corpse.
The governor has directed a full-scale investigation to identify and prosecute those behind the act.
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Uzodimma, represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Chief Nkechi Ugwu, made this known during a rescue operation at Isieke, Awo-Omamma, where the widow, Mrs. Chika Ndubuisi, was saved from the ordeal on Friday, October 24, PUNCH reported.
He warned that such dehumanizing practices would not be tolerated under any circumstance in the state.
Widow rescued from harmful tradition
The intervention came after reports reached the Ministry of Women Affairs that Chika’s in-laws were attempting to subject her to the cruel ritual to prove her innocence in her husband’s death.
Odinakachi Ndubuisi, her late husband, was said to have died from complications related to hepatitis.
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According to witnesses, the widow was locked inside the ambulance conveying her husband’s remains to the community and was ordered not to alight until she drank the water used to wash the corpse.
However, the swift arrival of the Commissioner, local government officials, and security operatives prevented the act.
Chief Ugwu confirmed that the ministry collaborated with groups including Onurube Coalition, Virgin Heart Foundation, Harsco Global Media, and Sisters With a Goal to ensure the woman’s safety.
The team also supervised the burial and handed over the suspects involved in the act to security agencies.
State vows to enforce law against harmful customs
Chief Ugwu said the government would pursue justice to its conclusion.
“When the attention of the ministry was drawn that the family members accused her of killing her husband and wanted the widow to drink the water used in bathing the husband’s corpse and also bathe with the water, efforts were made to stop the obnoxious and harmful traditional practice,” she said.
She added that calm has since returned to the community after authorities took charge of the situation.
“Calm has been restored to the community with an investigation started to fish out those behind the harmful traditional practice long abrogated and prohibited. We gave a stern warning to people to desist from such acts because in Imo state, such will not be condoned,” Ugwu stated.
The state government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting women from degrading cultural practices and called on community leaders to report anyone promoting similar customs.
Burial rites were later concluded peacefully under the supervision of security operatives.
Man who buried himself alive for ritual recounts ordeal
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a man who was looking for a quick means to get rich and opted for a high-risk ritual that involved burying himself alive had recounted the ordeal.
He detailed how many of his colleagues who participated in the same ritual did not survive it.
Source: Legit.ng
