Woman cries out as daughter goes missing after undergoing FGM

By Austin Okpele, Asaba.

A woman from Delta State, Mrs Grace Akporduma has cried out to the public over the whereabouts of her daughter, Ruth Rukewe Osabuhein.

According to information made available to our correspondent, Ruth was last seen at her family compound on October 30, 2023, after she had disowned her mother for making her go through Female Genital Mutilation, FGM.

The distressed mother, who admitted that FGM was carried out on her grown up daughter, blamed it on her husband’s people.

A competent source confirmed that Ruth left their family house in Agbontaen Uwelu Road, Benin City, on the 30th day of October 2023, leaving a suicidal note behind.

“She disowned her mother in the letter and told the mother to consider her dead.

“From her note, you could see her pain and agony,” the source said.

Further investigations revealed that Ruth was forcefully circumcised when she visited her hometown in Abraka Delta State for a wedding in September, 2023.
An informed source said, “her mum already agreed with her uncles to forcefully perform FGM on her.

“Her friend, Mary Omoruyi told us that she was in so much pain when she got back to Benin and later ran away. We have not seen her since then.

Meanwhile, Ruth’s mother, Mrs Grace, who described the situation as agonising, pleaded with the public to help her locate her daughter.

She, however, denied collaborating with her in-laws to circumcise Ruth.

“I am begging everyone to help me locate Ruth and beg her for me; I have no hand in what they did to her,” she cried.

Delta is one of the many other states who still practice FGM in Nigeria despite efforts by both the government and non-governmental organisation to stop such inhuman practices.