The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Anambra State Mrs Ify Obinabo has rescued a widow Mrs Patricia Eligbue from her relatives who forced her to drink water used in washing the dead body of her husband’s nephew.
Narrating her ordeal to the Commissioner, Mrs Eligbuewho lost her husband a long time ago explained that although she is from Obe Agwa, her husband is from Atani both in Ogbaru Local Government Area.
According to her after her husband’s death, she has been subjected to series of abuses including her husband’s family calling her a witch and other kinds of physical abuses.
Mrs Eligbue disclosed that one day the husband’s siblings descended on her and her only child and started beating her, alleging that she is responsible for all the unfortunate things happening to them.
She said that it was after the incident that her relatives ran to her aid and while she was about to go with them, her husband’s family refused stating that she needs to stay till after the burial ceremony of the husband’s nephew.
The embattled widow explained that on the day of the burial, she was summoned inside the room where they kept the dead body where they placed a cutlass on the deceased body and asked her to walk over it four times of which she did before they washed the corpse and forced her to drink the water before pouring the remaining on her.
Reacting to the ugly incident, Mrs Obinabo said that although the alleged culprits have been arrested, she will ensure that the law takes its full course.
The Commissioner used the opportunity to warn people to desist from any form of harmful traditional practices against widows in the state as such will not be tolerated.
During investigation it was discovered that the deceased died after a brief illness at her sister’s house in Ozubulu.
Meanwhile, the alleged perpetuators have denied all the allegations.
The Commissioner in collaboration with the Police has arrested the culprits and they will be arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka.
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