Share Njaba: Imo community where men die over wives' infidelity
As a woman, would you marry an Njaba man? Read first this report in which ANGELA NKWO - AKPOLU tells the story of a local government in Imo State where couples run the risk of death over acts of infidelity by wives.


Nkechi who is married to a well to-do man from Nkume in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State was recently kidnapped and, unfortunately, raped before she was released. But, despite the shock and trauma of that experience, she had to undergo “oriko”, a cleansing process to ‘undo’ the rape, which tradition erroneously presumes an act of infidelity on the part of the woman, or else she and her husband may die.


Okwudor, Amucha, Nkume and ancient Atta town are communities in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State united in many things especially in “iso nso” (taboos). Here if a married woman has extra-marital sex and her husband wittingly covers it up probably to avoid the shame of it all, he runs the risk of losing both his life and his wife
Onyinyechi, a teacher, is married to Damian Duruiheoma, a journalist who hails from Umuokoroezike in Umunam Atta Autonomous Community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State. Though the couple are committed Christians, she must never have any amorous relationship with another man as long as they live together, else madness and or death results.
After accepting the proposal to marry Damian, she went to his village where a scene played out. After pleasantries there, some women called her out to the Obi (the hut for receiving guests in Iboland) and told her about the people and place.
“Here, we don’t cheat on our husbands o, the moment you do, it is madness o or even death, except if you are ready to confess before everybody. Nne, think very well and be sure you are ready for this o”, that was how Onyinye was told about an ancient tradition, “iso nso or iguoguga”.
Njaba people with the exception of Umuaka town are bound by an age long tradition cum belief: no wife of theirs must sleep with another man as long as the marriage lasts; no matter where they may reside, their matrimonial bed must never be defiled by the woman.
However, the men are free to have amorous relationships with women outside their home as many times as they want, but not with a married woman from their community whose husband is still alive and they are still legally married.

Damian Duruiheoma tells the story. “When I decided to marry my wife, I started telling her jokingly about the tradition to know if she would abide by it,” he told The AUTHORITY in an interview. “I told her it becomes active the moment my people bring drinks before her people and they are accepted. Our tradition believes the moment I commence marriage rites, she is already my wife. I also explained that if the act is committed and the woman refuses to confess, she may run mad and still die in the process.”

Dr Basil Izuagba is President General of his autonomous community, Atta. The retired Veterinary Doctor continues the story. “The consequences are still there till tomorrow,” he corroborated. “This thing has claimed many lives in my place, especially promising couples. It is indeed a double-edged sword--it protects our marriage institution but also claims lives.”

Actually, the story is that after a wife has slept with another man, the act opens the family to attacks. Business begins to crumble, jobs lost and hardship ensues. All these are a kind of warning for the woman to confess and make amends. But if she refuses, a certain force takes over her and she will begin to call names of men she slept with outside matrimony.
According to Dr Izuagba, “the moment she alludes to an act of adultery, her husband will take her back to her people first; in fact, he must stop eating any food prepared by her. Technically, the marriage ceases until the cleansing process is performed. Both she and her husband are at the risk of death from that point.”

Unfortunately, while the warning has been passed down to many generations, the history behind it is unknown, as none of those interviewed could tell how the practice began or originated.

Once the woman is back to her maiden place, her people will know something bad has occurred because they are also aware of the implications of such an act. It behoves on them to make arrangements for “ Igba Oriko” which literarily explained means communion, most times in the Obi of the oldest Nze or eldest man of the hamlet. It holds on an Ekeukwu day.

At that meeting, the woman and her people will be in attendance, the husband and his people, the oldest people, Nze-n’ozo title holders of that hamlet, and their ancestors referred to as “Ogaranya”.

There, she will appear almost naked save for underwear. She will be required to mention the names of every man she slept with after marriage. Where she forgets a particular name or the elders assume she has called too many names already, she is told to “kpo fe aja na azu”, meaning just collect and throw sand behind you to make up for the others, as what applied to a woman that mentioned over 12 names.
After the confession, the elders will provide some leaves which she is expected to pound in a small mortal. When it is adjudged okay, she is made to eat of it, her husband will eat, her people, and every other person in attendance there. Everyone will just take a pinch of the leaves. It is that act that is referred to as “igba Oriko” or a kind of communion feast.

From that moment, both she and her husband become free from any repercussion as a result of her infidelity or “igahie ukwu”. From that moment, the couple is free to resume cohabiting as husband and wife.
Before one assumes the practice is ancient, the ceremony was conducted during the first week of February 2016, with some others scheduled soon.
Dr Izuagba explained that any

man that decides to shield his wife from the ceremony after her confession risks sudden death. “Some men have in the past, undergone deliverance in churches where they were assured that they were safe. Unfortunately, after maybe a week of deliverance, the man would suddenly die. It is at that point the woman now runs to the community for help, to keep her from dying too. And except that cleansing is done, the woman is at risk. Her husband’s death does not put an end to the situation. If she prefers to hide it, she does so at the risk of running amok or even losing her own life”.

He explained that many men due to their social standing fall prey because they prefer to shield their wives thinking they are smart, noting that many top male shots fall victim.

Dr Izuagba said sometimes after the Oriko ceremony, some men opt out from the marriage completely as a result of infidelity saying at that point, the custom becomes null for the couple as the woman is now free to date or even remarry any other man.
He explained that the Oriko ceremony is important to help clear the stigma so that their offspring can marry and seek any position in the community.

Another aspect of the tradition is where a husband accuses his wife of infidelity with or without proofs. This attracts another type of cleansing.
Damian Duruiheoma explained that “the moment a man makes the accusation, he must stop eating her food and all other forms of relationship with her.”

“She may or may not return to her people. Her people will raise funds for the oath-taking process,” Duruiheoma further explained. “First, she will be required to pick five bits of kolanut with her mouth kneeling down. It is called “IBU OJI”, an otherwise simple process. But where a woman is truly unfaithful, it becomes an impossible task to achieve.”

“After that process,” he added, “the woman is given a sharp knife/cutlass to cut off the head of a hen already bound and placed on the floor. This can be very tricky for an unfaithful wife. If she fails to severe the head of the hen then infidelity is established against her. She simply moves on to perform “Oriko” rite and names the men she slept with.”

Dr Izuagba stressed: “However, where the woman passes the infidelity test, this is a major celebration for her and her people. In Fact, at that event, after proving her innocence, she is permitted to hit her husband so long as it does not result to death. She can slap or even hit him for doubting her fidelity and subjecting her to such a process cum ridicule. A woman after establishing her innocence, once walked out of the marriage. She sued for divorce because she just could not believe her husband no longer trusted her, a core requirement of marriage”.
In the communities where the belief is operative, a widow or even divorce is free to sleep with any other man because it is inoperative over them. Where such a woman remarries, the dowry is returned to the first husband.

The retired veterinary doctor said at a social event, a Catholic Priest, Monsignor Cletus Mbaerikata challenged him as the President General of their Town Union to work towards the abolishment of the tradition because of the numerous deaths especially of their men but when he attempted to discuss it with elders, he met a brick wall. Izuagba said his traditional ruler outrightly told him the practice would not be abolished during his reign, saying he (the traditional ruler) did not want to die before his time, afraid that the gods of marital fidelity would strike him dead for making any moves to abolish the practice. As Izuagba put it, no one, especially the elderly, wishes to be associated with the abolishment else it will considered a tacit endorsement of infidelity in marriage.

Said he: “If the people are united over the issue, yes, I think it can be undone but the problem is if you mention it before any Eze (traditional ruler), he will refuse to listen to you; at that point, he begins selective hearing, chooses what he wants to hear you say.”
According to him, there is no shrine involved or anything fetish, saying that is the mystery involved in the practice. It holds in the Obi and the Ezes are not part of it, because not all the Ezes are Nzes, Izuagba further explained.
A similar practice, according to The AUTHORITY investigation, obtains in Enugu-Ezike



in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State. An Enugu-Ezike man who sleeps with someone else’s wife outside Enugu-Ezike would have to go before the ‘onyishi’ (eldest man in that particular village or clan) and his council of elders to confess his sin or he would run amok first and die later. However, if he sleeps with a married Enugu-Ezike woman at home or outside the town, it is the woman who would be caught by the ‘nso ala’ and she must openly confess in what is called ‘Ika Oji’ or face the repercussion. If she refuses to confess or hides the fact from her husband and the husband eats from her pot or sleeps with her, the husband will be caught by the ‘ndishi’ (the community’s progenitors) and he may lose his life.

For the woman, whether Enugu-Ezike or non-Enugu-Ezike, or whether it is a man from her village in Enugu-Ezike that she sleeps with or with a man from Iceland, she must confess before the Umuadas (elderly women and no so elderly) completely naked (the man too must strip when confessing). A Usually, what remains of her honour or her husband’s is protected by not allowing her to name too many men she has slept with during the ‘Ika Oji’. In that case, she is simply asked to smash a block on the floor, signifying that they are too many to remember.
There are stories of many women from outside Enugu-Ezike, especially ladies from other parts of Nsukka cultural zone, who have rejected marriage proposals from Enugu-Ezike men for fear they fall foul of ‘nso ndishi’.

For Dr Ngozi Izuagba, a senior lecturer at the Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri who is married to an Njaba man, the practice should be abolished because it is doing more harm than good as, according her, it causing mothers to lose their sons early.

“I want it removed because of generations unborn. I don’t encourage promiscuity but my friend who was raped during kidnap was subjected to it, for a person still trying to recover from such a trauma to be subjected to Oriko is not good,” she contended. “With the way marriage institution is going, with many operating what is called digital marriage, I fear for our sons outside Iboland. Will you bound those abroad by this, such that they must always return home for cleansing. I know myself but these young ones, hmmm, I wish they can do something so that women would stop burying their sons.”

She noted that there is no organized way or manner of informing a new wife. “My mother in-law did not tell me rather my father in-law did,” she disclosed. “There is no formal method of informing a new wife to be, so as to attach importance to it. Rather, it is the cases of madness or death of some victims that drive home the message”.

She explained that the few times they (concerned women) tabled the matter during meetings, the very older women shouted them down. “Perhaps it is ignorance or fear, I don’t know but they won’t even let you finish. Unfortunately, this practice is claiming many lives,” she lamented.

She argued that that if the repercussions were on an unfaithful wife alone, few would quarrel with it but the problem is that more often than not, an innocent husband and son is made to bear part of the punishment for a crime he didn’t commit or know anything about.
The beauty of the tradition, however, is that even if partners simply cohabit without intention of marriage, nothing happens like students living like couples but the moment the man begins marriage rites or a child is involved, it becomes active.
Further, one is sure his brother will not sleep with his wife or a woman cheat on him consciously. But, the number of women walking about in their communities mentally unstable or deaths of promising men and women due to infidelity calls for concern.

Originated from my hometown in Orlu. Its wasn't exclusive to just Njaba people. I've lost a lot of relatives to it.






Its one of the reasons I'm being overly careful about my spouse.


Cc lezzlie thesonofmark stfuareyougod kinglekan and all dem niggaz waiting on me to get married. Una go old oo

Op, abeg try summarize it. I couldn't read half of it.

IdonBilivit

Synzu:
Originated from my hometown in Orlu. Its wasn't exclusive to just Njaba people. I've lost a lot of relatives to it.






Its one of the reasons I'm being overly careful about my spouse.


Cc lezzlie thesonofmark stfuareyougod kinglekan and all dem niggaz waiting on me to get married. Una go old oo

Bwhahaha!!!

See excuse!!!

You're just confused picking one from your harem!

Then go back to school and learn comprehendion in primary school

lol

ebusbaba10:
Op, abeg try summarize it. I couldn't read half of it.

Synzu:
Originated from my hometown in Orlu. Its wasn't exclusive to just Njaba people. I've lost a lot of relatives to it.






Its one of the reasons I'm being overly careful about my spouse.


Cc lez.zlie thesono.fmark stfuare.yougod kinglek.an and all dem niggaz waiting on me to get married. Una go old oo

hehehehe. See excuse o. Bird wey wan fly, dem dey throw am stone. Lol

All is well

TheSonOfMark:



It's not peculiar to Igboland. It's called "EKPO NKA'WO" in Akwaibom State which literally means "the ghost or malicious spirit of adultery".

It used to be very potent years ago but, for some odd reason, it's dying away. Rumour has it that if the deity of "Ekpo nka'wo" isn't worshipped by the community, it has little or no effect.

I heard about a man (a husband)whose death was linked to it about 7 years ago though.

His offence: He knew his wife was screwing around but instead of confronting her, avoiding her bed and meals then appeasing the gods (whatever that means), he condoned her philandering ways. Of course, he was struck dead...or so the story goes. The woman is now an outcast.

I've done research about it in my hometown. I've been told it's dead...dormant, at least. Thank goodness. I wouldn't have to die for a woman's sins.

Its still very much potent in my hometown till date bro. Infidelity is not a small issue where I come from and its all cos of that "curse". I also did my researches but what I found were chilling and somewhat disturbing. I don't really know if it applies to folks who live abroad, but I'm sure that in where I come from, a man who eats the meals of his adulterous wife is a candidate for death!

STFUareyouGod:
hehehehe. See excuse o. Bird wey wan fly, dem dey throw am stone. Lol

All is well

Oboy goan marry oo.. No wait for me

STFUareyouGod:
hehehehe. See excuse o. Bird wey wan fly, dem dey throw am stone. Lol

All is well

Oboy forget proverb, goan marry oo.. No wait for me

lezz:
Bwhahaha!!!
See excuse!!!
You're just confused picking one from your harem!

Ama "one woman" man



No harems bro

Nsukka comes to mind. This is the only traditional practice that i know christianity couldnt abolish. Its so real in many part of igbo land.

Synzu:


Oboy forget proverb, goan marry oo.. No wait for me

hehehe. I will.
Soon, very soon


Be ready!!!

[quote author=IkpuMmadu post=43891942]Then go back to school and learn comprehendion in primary school

lol
Comprehendion

IkpuMmadu:
Then go back to school and learn comprehendion in primary school

lol

Comprehendion

Synzu:


Oboy goan marry oo.. No wait for me

Where in Orlu is your home, please?

And Abagworo has been depositing all the lies and half-truths against your home town Orlu, on a thread "Few Pics from Imo State" on NL.

Few people to counter Abagworo's lies.

Synzu:
Originated from my hometown in Orlu. Its wasn't exclusive to just Njaba people. I've lost a lot of relatives to it.






Its one of the reasons I'm being overly careful about my spouse.


Cc lez.zlie thesonofm.ark stfuareyo.ugod kingl.ekan and all dem niggaz waiting on me to get married. Una go old oo

See your sef? You dey find excuse to dey sample all those underage.

Kontinue ooo

kinglekan:

See your sef? You dey find excuse to dey sample all those underage.
Kontinue ooo

Nah bro, I'm celibate... In short, I'm a priest

mandax:


Where in Orlu is your home, please?

And Abagworo has been depositing all the lies and half-truths against your home town Orlu, on a thread "Few Pics from Imo State" on NL.

Few people to counter Abagworo's lies.

Cant disclose that right now sir, cos I'm currently in my hometown..


What exactly has the "abagworo" guy been saying about my home?

STFUareyouGod:
hehehe. I will. Soon, very soon

Be ready!!!

We can't wait!!

Prettythicksme weds Jacksparrow!


In our dreams.....

STFUareyouGod:
hehehe. I will.
Soon, very soon


Be ready!!!

E no fit app n over my dead body

Synzu:


We can't wait!!


Prettythicksme weds Jacksparrow!



In our dreams.....

you might end up being the officiating minister to join us. Whatyasay?


*still in our dreams*

BumBae:

E no fit app n over my dead body

wetin no fit happen? Me getting married?

This is an old myth, not implacable in this present day and age.

STFUareyouGod:
you might end up being the officiating minister to join us. Whatyasay?


*still in our dreams*

Its all in our dreams bro

Synzu:


We can't wait!!


Prettythicksme weds Jacksparrow!



In our dreams.....

in ur drms bawo?#pre wedding shoot loading

prettythicksme:
in ur drms bawo?#pre wedding shoot loading

**YAWNS**

STFUareyouGod:
you might end up being the officiating minister to join us. Whatyasay?


*still in our dreams*

see our pre wedding pics everywhere!

STFUareyouGod:
wetin no fit happen? Me getting married?

Yass not on my watch
U i have fling 1-2 juju pon ya head

Synzu:



Its all in our dreams bro

hehehe. It's good to dream