“Parading the culprits is dehumanizing and unacceptable”: Ebonyi Lawmaker Speaks on Widow Disgraced for S*X with Younger Lover

Last week, there were viral reports on social media about a 70-year-old widow identified as Maria Okoh, who was caught having sex with her 30-year-old lover inside her late husband’s home in Amuzu Nkpogoro community in Ebonyi state.

The elderly woman was later paraded alongside her lover and then banished from the community.

Giving an update on the matter via her Facebook page, Maria Ude Nwachi popularly known as ‘Nwanyi Afikpo’, a member of the Ebonyi state House of Assembly, said parading the culprits is dehumanizing and unacceptable.

Here’s what she wrote;

”Parading of people unacceptable – Essa Ehugbo.

The member representing Afikpo North East in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mrs Maria Ude Nwachi (Afikpo Chic), on the 22nd July 2017, complained to Essa Traditional Council of Ehugho, the highest decision making body in Ehugbo (Afikpo), about a 70 year old widow, accused of sleeping with a man in her late husband’s home at Amuzu Nkpogoro, Afikpo, and paraded with the man round the villages; with youths chanting disgraceful songs behind them, thereby creating a scene which attracted condemnation from several quarters, describing such as obnoxious, uncivilized, and other adjectives.

Following the report, the Ekpuke Essa Traditional ruling body on 26 July 2017 at Ulubi Eke Ehugbo deliberated on the matter and stated that the normal thing as Ehugbo tradition demands is that the culprit is liable to atone her misdeed with a goat.

The above process, the Essa said is the tradition and not the dehumanising act of parading the culprit. They also advised widows cannot hold themselves, they should re-marry or alternatively pack out from their late husband house.

THE VERDICT IS: No community should parade anyone again and if they ever do, they would be fined N100,000 and another fine of N5000 will be given again to every one in the community who allowed such act.

They stated the act of the said community is not acceptable. They frowned at the bad public image the incident gave the town of Afikpo.”

Giving details of the act, it was gathered that the septuagenarian was caught by one of her grandchildren, who had gone to give her food in her late husband’s house.

The granddaughter reportedly went straight to her grandmother’s room with the food items only to meet her on the bed stack naked making love with a young man in his early 30’s.

The grand-daughter then raised the alarm seeing what is described as an abominable act in the community. She immediately reported the matter to the elders, who in turn alerted youths of the village, Vanguard gathered.

A source who pleaded anonymity said the villagers immediately dragged the widow and her lover out of the house, where they were hiding, and paraded round the community, chanting disgraceful songs behind them as punishment for their atrocious act.

The source added that the punishment meted out to the two lovebirds was the worst punishment anyone could go through in Afikpo land, adding that the woman would have faced a greater punishment if her husband was still alive.

The source, however, revealed that the act has brought shame to the widow’s family, adding that she was among the most respected women in the community before the incident.

It was gathered that according to the tradition of the community, the woman will give three goats as fine after being paraded round the village to appease the land.

Photo credit: Facebook