The Imo State Government has rescued a widow, Mrs. Chika Ndubuisi, from the hands of her husband’s kinsmen who forced her to drink from the water used in bathing the corpse of her husband to prove her innocence over his death.
The incident, which took place at Awo-Omamma in Oru East LGA of the state, attracted the attention of the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare through an alarm raised by a women advocacy group that exposed the action of the said kinsmen.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner in charge of the Ministry, Lady Nkechinyere Ugwu, condemned the action, which she described as an inhuman widowhood practice that has become outdated.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, who is already undergoing the trauma of losing 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 frowned at the act, describing it as barbaric, cruel, and completely unacceptable in a civilized society.
In her reaction, the wife of the state governor, Chioma Uzodinma, directed that an immediate and comprehensive investigation be carried out to ensure that those responsible face the full weight of the law.
According to our correspondent, the widow, who was detained with her husband’s corpse, was accused by her in-laws of being responsible for his death.
Her husband’s family, as it was gathered, allegedly tried to compel her to drink from the water to prove her innocence, but the swift intervention of the Commissioner, the Local Council Authority of the area, and security agencies halted the attempt following the alerts raised by the women’s group.
Lady Ugwu informed 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, as she confirmed that some arrests have 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,” the Commissioner added.