The Imo State Government has rescued a widow, Mrs Chika Ndubuisi, from her husband’s kinsmen, who allegedly attempted to force her to drink the water used in bathing his corpse to prove her innocence over his death.
Naija News reports that the incident happened at Awo-Omamma, Oru East Local Government Area, before it was exposed by a women’s advocacy group, which alerted the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Lady Nkechinyere Ugwu, condemned the act, describing it as an “inhuman widowhood practice” that should have no place in modern society.
She said, “It is shocking that such practices still exist in today’s society. A widow, who is already traumatized by the loss of her husband, was being forced by his kinsmen to undergo this barbaric and cruel ritual. It is completely unacceptable in a civilised world.”
The wife of the state governor, Chioma Uzodinma, directed a comprehensive investigation to ensure that those responsible face the full weight of the law.
According to reports, Mrs Ndubuisi was detained with her husband’s corpse after being accused of causing his death. Her in-laws allegedly insisted she must drink the corpse’s bathwater to prove her innocence.
The swift intervention of the commissioner, the local council chairman, security operatives, and NGOs halted the act.
Lady Ugwu confirmed that the widow and her children had been placed under government protection, while arrests had been made in connection with the incident.
“Normalcy has been restored, and a detailed investigation is underway. Mrs Ndubuisi and her children are under government protection,” she said.
