₦airaland Forum

1bunne4lif:
Though I'm not in support of such demands, but your parents were also partakers of it during other people's burial

cr7lomo:
Not just the village ...church is also involved in this extortion...not pentecostal ooo.. Catholic and Anglican... they will request for the tithe , the late person dint pay all thru their lifetime in their church. Even if u tell them the person paid tithe in another branch of the church, they wudnt accept it....the will request for levies the person dint pay , the donations the person dint donate...if u dont do it ,the church will not bury the person ...

Village and church demands gulps millions of naira ...some 5m some 7m depending on their demands ... the richer the person was, or if there is a rich member in the family , the more demands ... tgey will charge for meetings the late person failed to attend and also add the children fees that failed to attend meetings...

onuman:
This burial expenses in Igbo land is crippling people. Mortuaries are filled to the brim with dead bodies waiting for when relatives get money to meet up with the outrageous demands of several Igbo groups.

It's time the state governors met to abolish this backward tradition of making people bleed to bury their people.

ikeno:
Truth is that burial of love one in eastern part of Nigeria is expensive and I keep wondering how will people that are not financially capable cope.

We buried my late mom in 2024,and the demands that each village groups and even the church,CWO were demanding was atrocious. All this demands runs into millions of naira and this is apart from the foods and drinks you will serve them on that day and when the ceremony ends the money these groups will contribute to your family is peanut.

Thank God, we gave them what they want and everyone of them ate and drank to their fill without no complain.

All and all, anyone who wants to bury their love should do so according to their means not imposing so much demands all in the name of tradition.

Savageman247:
A Nigerian man has ignited conversations on social media after revealing the list of items his family was asked to provide by one of his village groups following the death of his mother.

The man, Emeka Nobis, disclosed that he and his brother recently attended meetings in their mother's village as part of the traditional burial process. According to him, they met separately with three groups: the Umunna (men of the kindred), Umuada (women of the kindred), and Alurudi (women married into the kindred).

He explained that each group presented its own set of requirements before the burial rites could proceed. Nobis shared one of the lists online, showing numerous food items and refreshments expected to be provided for members of the group.

The post quickly attracted widespread reactions, with many Nigerians questioning why grieving families should face such financial obligations while mourning the loss of a loved one.

Reflecting on the experience, Nobis revealed that his mother died at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer that had already cost the family millions of naira in medical expenses. Because of her age, he said she was classified under the highest burial category in his community, with the family also expected to provide a cow as part of the traditional rites.

Despite the demands, he said he and his brother have chosen to approach the discussions calmly while engaging community leaders in constructive conversations.

Sharing the reason behind making the experience public, Nobis wrote that he wanted to document the realities of traditional burial practices in his part of Igboland, prepare others who may one day go through a similar process, and encourage conversations about reforming customs that place heavy financial burdens on bereaved families.

"Culture can be modified. It's left to us to challenge these practices as years go by. I'm pretty sure that it definitely will happen," he wrote.

His post has since sparked a broader debate online, with many arguing that some traditional burial practices should be reviewed to reduce the financial and emotional burden on grieving families, while others maintained that cultural customs should be preserved but adapted to reflect present-day economic realities.

SOURCE
https://www.reportnaija.ng/2026/07/bereaved-son-sparks-debate-after.html

SonOfWords:
Lol.

I have never understood the practice of a bereaved family having to organize lavish feasts for the visiting crowds during a funeral event. It's a nonsensical tradition that has long outlived its usefulness.

It is mostly common in the Eastern and Southern parts of Nigeria despite how educated the regions have claimed to be. And I have firmly decided that in the eventual loss of any of my parents, not a single plate of food is going to enter anybody's greedy mouth.

If heaven is going to fall, let it fall! I cannot be burying a loved one and be wasting scarce resources feeding village gluttons.

GerogeI:
0

Liar, Catholic Church does not collect or recognize Tithe

cr7lomo:
Not just the village ...church is also involved in this extortion...not pentecostal ooo.. Catholic and Anglican... they will request for the tithe , the late person dint pay all thru their lifetime in their church. Even if u tell them the person paid tithe in another branch of the church, they wudnt accept it....the will request for levies the person dint pay , the donations the person dint donate...if u dont do it ,the church will not bury the person ...

Village and church demands gulps millions of naira ...some 5m some 7m depending on their demands ... the richer the person was, or if there is a rich member in the family , the more demands ... tgey will charge for meetings the late person failed to attend and also add the children fees that failed to attend meetings...

Jamesclooney:
What happens if you don’t pay?

How do poor people like Okada men etc bury their loved ones?

okezuoemmanue:
My brother, let me explain things for you....
These culture u are talking about has been in existence for centuries and there is always room for anyone who doesn't want to be identified with it currently.
Further more,
In Igbo land, there is a saying that ofu onye adighi enwe nwa ( a child isn't owned by one person).
Ikwu Nne gi has a stake in your life as it is believed that so chuba nwata, ya gbaga ikwu Nne ya and believe me, they are meant to protect you with the last drop of their bloods.
Umuaka are the supreme Court
Umu Nwanyi aluru alu are the teachers or guid.
Ndi Nze and Ozo/Chiefs or positions u held in life.
All of them have a role to play.
And anyone who is alive, it is believed that provided you didn't denounce them, you are still part of them cos you belong to them through the virtue of birth. But you have right to denounce them and by doing so, once you are gone, non of ur people is entitled to give them or inform them.
If you don't want their services, u may start it while alive and dissociate urself with them.
That's the reason some people enter Pentecostal church cos if u are in Catholics or Ang and you are gone, ur people must do the church clearance B4 the priests bury you. U must attend to the requirements of Ndi CWO, CMO, Choir, Ndi Ezinne ETC.
If u aren't in church, u take Ozoship tittle or Chieftaincy tittle, you must attend to their requirements.
Otherwise, live the lives of OFEKE so on the day of ur demise, no one will be bothered.
I have a lot but I don't have enough time to start it.

Jamesclooney:
What happens if you don’t pay?

How do poor people like Okada men etc bury their loved ones?

SonOfWords:
I experienced this first-hand.

I lost my maternal grandmother in year 2000. She was born, raised and died as an Apostolic. Very devoted to the last day, and even died as a very recognized deaconess. In her 66 years of age, she only missed church activities and obligations for about one month, which was the period she was hospitalized and was even put on life support where she was being fed through tubes.

Upon fixing her funeral date, my mother approached granny's Apostolic church province to facilitate the arrangements. The church refused to conduct the funeral, claiming granny owed dues for the period of her absence. Mumsy calmly offered to clear those dues just so they could show up to bury granny. The church was still adamant, claiming they had to meet with the church's council of elders before deciding the way forward.

Three weeks later, no feedback. Mumsy got her own church (Winners' chapel) to bury granny and the arrangements were swiftly finalized. Only for the Apostolic church entourage to show up on the day of the funeral to participate.

The reactionary madness we all displayed that day can only be best imagined in a nollywood screenshoot. Na parboiled rice water mumsy use baff the senior pastors and church leadership. I and my brothers chased the entire approaching church delegation with flaming pieces of thick firewoods.

These funeral practices are outright evil and insensitive💀!

cloud:
The question is why does this type of exploitative list affect only those that are not based in the village because I doubt if people based there can afford to go through with this type of exploitation. Or isn't culture applicable to everyone from a particular geographical area?

kingthreat:
Wait so if the money is unavailable, what will now happen?
Or these wicked people don't mind if the corpse rots in mortuaries to have their way?
This is one reason I like Islam. After death, burial the next day and life goes on.

SonOfWords:
Lol.

I have never understood the practice of a bereaved family having to organize lavish feasts for the visiting crowds during a funeral event. It's a nonsensical tradition that has long outlived its usefulness.

It is mostly common in the Eastern and Southern parts of Nigeria despite how educated the regions have claimed to be. And I have firmly decided that in the eventual loss of any of my parents, not a single plate of food is going to enter anybody's greedy mouth.

If heaven is going to fall, let it fall! I cannot be burying a loved one and be wasting scarce resources feeding village gluttons.

3kay945:
Thank you for the little time

But quickly share the meaning of OFEKE,

Vanpascore:
It's not about being a bigot! Tell me why such cultural belief should not be changed?

That side of the country get as e be, even their reasonable sons and daughters know.

cloud:
The question is why does this type of exploitative list affect only those that are not based in the village because I doubt if people based there can afford to go through with this type of exploitation. Or isn't culture applicable to everyone from a particular geographical area?

oz4real83:
One greedy man will start a practice, his family will copy it, it spreads to their neighbors and the whole community. This will now be taken as "our culture"😏. Milk, Milo, rice, malt, beer and some of those things are not "traditional materials", they were brought by the white man, how "white men goods" became part of traditional lists is something that needs serious investigation💔😡

Sonnobax15:

Imagine if they could impose that kind amount of money on a dead body,you can imagine how theur marriage list and requirements will look like

Not that they'll even assist the children in any way . But be looking for ways to bill the hell out of the children.