Man tortured to death for not allowing daughters undergo circumcision

A man identified as Frank Ogbonna has reportedly been tortured to death after returning home from exile over concerns relating to forceful circumcision of his two daughters.

Mr Frank Ogbonna, a 37-year-old man from Eluala kingdom in Abia state in Eastern Nigeria earlier went into exile with his daughters and wife over possible fears of subjecting his daughters to the ritual of circumcision.

His two daughters who were christened in accordance to the traditional rites of the Igbo culture in Eastern Nigeria, were supposed to be presented to the elders of his community for the commencement of the circumcision procedures but objected to the procedure, it was confirmed.

However, it was gathered that Frank reportedly fled with his wife and 2 daughters owing to the recorded cases of deaths arising from infection, excessive bleeding as a direct consequence of unsterilized objects utilized to perform circumcision by untrained local women and birth attendants in his community.

It was further gathered that he was ordered by the elders of his community to return home to perform the mandatory ritual of female circumcision or risk incurring the wrath of the ancestors.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Frank later returned home when his father died and was ordered to either present his daughters for the circumcision or be made to undergo some spiritual cleansing as it was confirmed that his earlier refusal to heed the counsel of the elders had brought calamity upon the family that led to the death of his father.

The source warned that failure to comply with the directive of the elders, his deceased father would not be laid to rest and no member of his family would also be buried in the event of any death.

It was gathered that as part of rituals in the community for the embattled Frank who refused to allow circumcision be performed on his daughters, 2 female dogs would be used to cast an evil spell of death on his two daughters and the burial rites accorded them (2 dogs).

The spiritual cleansing process, according to Information made available, involved being tortured to the point of death while he must have had a bath with the local palm wine as Frank was said to have not been fortunate enough 11 to make it alive after the flogging and parade stage on May 4th .

A woman in the community who pleaded anonymity disclosed that it was a common practice in the community for any erring members of the community to undergo the practice adding that it has led to so many young men and women in the community running into exile.

she however pleaded for urgent government intervention in curbing the menace of female circumcision which has led to avoidable deaths in the community.

Meanwhile, at the time of this report, Frank’s corpse was said to have been preserved locally while awaiting the directive of the chief priest of the community who would give his final approval for his burial ceremony as the immediate whereabouts of Frank’s wife and his 2 daughters remained unknown to anyone in the community.

Confirmed report in the community revealed that no arrest had been made concerning the tragic death of Frank.

Eluala community, like other communities in Eastern Nigeria, is known to uphold this ancient traditional values during marriages, family inheritance, childbirth, deaths.

Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the chief priest of the community concerning circumstances which led to the tragic death of Frank Ogbonna proved abortive as he was said to be unwilling to grant any interview.