IZUNNA OKAFOR
Barely few years after the humiliation meted out to a widow by indigenes of Aguleri community in Anambra State over allegations that she was responsible for her husband’s death; another woman has been subjected to similar humiliation and agonizing treatments over the death of her daughter.
According to video trending on the social media, the incident happened at Umueze Uga, in Aguata Local Government Area of the state, over the weekend.
It was gathered that, Ogochukwu Ozoemena, daughter to the victim, died last night —a death many believed to be both untimely, mysterious, and suspicious.
However, because the presumed mysterious nature of the deceased death, the youths of the community insisted that she would not be buried until the cause of her death is unravelled. Hence, the corpse was dumped at the in front of the house, while the rampaging youths continued to call for investigation, oath taking, and any other approach capable of revealing the true cause of her death.
According to the video, as the pandemonium was raging, a self-acclaimed pastor and brother to the deceased, one Mr. Nonso Ozoemena, seized everyone’s attention by surprise, as he started pointing at some locations in the compound, and urging the youths to dig the places, for he perceived that charms were buried therein.
The scene became more dramatic as charms, including buried ram, kola nuts and other diabolical items were exhumed from the places by the youths; while Nonso, who claimed to be speaking under the influence of the “Holy Spirit” continue to point more places for excavation, including an orange tree, which, he said must be uprooted, for the charms buried underneath to be exhumed and destroyed.
Some of the speculators captioned in the video alleged that the charms might have been buried by the deceased mother, whom, the alleged, was not in good terms with the deceased and some of her siblings. Some also labelled her witch and diabolic woman; while some village women were also ordered to give her the beating of her life.
However, the maltreatment got to its peak when the deceased’s mother was ordered to carry the corpse of her daughter and sit on the ground for some period of time, before she would be taken to the mortuary. This was happening after the youths had lodged the corpse into an ambulance, which they eventually brought out again and forced her on the poor woman who sat on the bare ground, with the corpse on her laps as though she was breastfeeding her.
While on the ground with the corpse on her hands and laps, the woman (assumed to be a widow) was lamenting and confessing that she was innocent and did not have hands in her daughter’s death; while the villagers took pictures and videos of her (in tears).
“I am innocent ooo. I don’t have hands in my daughter’s death. Why would I kill my own daughter? She is my daughter, I am innocent!” she lamented in agony, still with the corpse on her laps.
The corpse was, however, eventually retrieved from her and driven to the mortuary; while some of the villagers were seen following her around and making jest of her.
Efforts are in top gear to get the reactions of relevant authorities in the state on the incident.