The Anambra State Police Command has arraigned a 75-year-old man, Albert Eligbue, for allegedly forcing a widow, Patricia Eligbue, to drink water used to bathe the corpse of her husband's nephew.

Eligbue, from Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state, was arraigned in the Children, Sexual and Gender- Based Violence Court in Awka, the state capital on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

During court proceedings, the prosecutor, Inspector Onyema Ayogu told the court that the defendant was accused of forcing a widow and sister-in-law to drink water used to wash the corpse of her late brother-in-law as proof of her innocence over his death.

Ayogu said the defendant was facing five charges, including conspiracy to commit felony and assault, an offence punishable under sections 495(a) and 190 of the Criminal Code Cap 36 Vol. 11 revised laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991.

Eligbue pleaded not guilty to the five charges preferred against him.

However, Magistrate Genevieve Osakwe, granted the defendant N500,000 bail with a surety to be the Traditional Ruler or President General of Atani community.

The case was further adjourned till June 7, 2023.

Meanwhile, the widow who narrated her ordeal to the Anambra State Women and Social Welfare Commissioner, Hon Ify Obinabo, said she lost her husband a long time ago.

She noted that although she's from Obe Agwa, her husband was from Atani both in Ogbaru local government area of the state.

She went on to say that after her husband's death, she has been subjected to all kinds of abuse ranging from her husband's family, calling her a witch and other kinds of physical abuse.

According to her, one day the husband's siblings badged in on her and her only child and allegedly started beating her, claiming that she's responsible for all the unfortunate things happening to them.

She said that it was after the incident that her relatives ran to her aid . While she was about to go with her family, her husband's family members refused stating that she needed to stay till after the burial ceremony of the husband's nephew who died.

The widow explained that on the day of the burial, she was summoned inside the room where they kept the dead body by one Mr. Albert, Godwin, Ozoemina and Onyeàmà.

She said that they placed a cutlass on the deceased body and asked her to walk over it four times of which she did before they washed off the corpse and forced her to drink the water before pouring the remaining on her.

The widow stated that they also accused her of killing the deceased.

Reacting to the ugly incident, Hon Obinabo noted that although the alleged culprits have been arrested, she will make sure that the law takes its full course.

The Commissioner went further to warn everyone to desist from any form of harmful traditional practices against widows in the state as such would not be tolerated.

Upon investigation by newsmen, it was discovered that the deceased died after a brief illness at his sister's house somewhere around Ozubulu.

It was also discovered that the incident started as a result of a dream of the sister-in-law where she claimed that she saw Mrs. Patricia strangling the deceased.

The culprits have been arrested.

https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2023/5/75-year-old-man-arraigned-for-forcing-anambra-widow-to-drink-water-used-to-wash-corpse-of-her-husbands-nephew-2.html

The easterners ought to have outgrown this barbaric practice by now... It's 2023 for God's sake

These stupid and useless inhuman traditional practices need to stop!
Nigerians carry religion, fetish beliefs, spiritism, and other dirty tradition for head, yet the thing no dey benefit Dem in any way.

If at your age you still believe in some useless God (gods), ritual, spirit garbage,or swearing with the bible/ ogun, iron, trash superstition or other books will change a thing,then you need to be fixed in a psycho home!

This Is general notification to religious wailers: Keep your trash to yourselves and stop trying to impose your garbage God on everyone. These gods have proven themselves to be useless and non-existent so stop disturbing my ears. These fetish/disgusting culture need to stop. It's against human right!
Tired of reading these shiit!

Igbo people too dey trouble their women, like wetin happen sef..

From accusing their women of witchcraft to...
They should not have a share in their father or husband's properties.
To drinking water that is used to bath their dead husband and so on...

What's happening to these people very bad.

So those things chinua achebe discussed in things fall apart are still in existence? Nawao.

A woman of that age should have grown up children who should be able to protect her from all those village men and their useless traditions.

If she do have grown up kids, all I can say is shame on them. No creature dead or alive can force my mom to drink water used to wash a corpse, whoever tries it would end up as a corpse.

One of igbos babarish tradition

Nsogbu!!!

What nonsense.. imagine if the copse has began to decay

All this nonsense tradition sef.

Thank God for my culture.

In this age and time?

God!!!

In this 21st century

Anambra state government should outlaw this nonsense.

These barbarians again. The sad part is that they can only see the worst in others but are blind to their own sad cultures/crimes. If pointed out, they will find someone else to blame. It's always someone's fault.
Heck, they might blame this on Buhari and Tinubu. Nothing surprises me about these people anymore.

Pathetic.

So primitive and disgusting

Backward

I will try my best to be objective here.

Some people will call this a barbaric act, but if you check very well, some of those same people didn't see anything wrong in the killing of DEBORAH..

Devilish culture

Useless Chimamanda Adiche, Ezekwesili and likes won't come out to condemn this barbaric culture of their people.. culture that ill-treats women but they will be all over the place forming woke while their sisters and aunties are being dehumanized back home in their enclave.