A young woman, simply identified as Emeterhire, has d!ed in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, after being forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) following complications during childbirth.
Emeterhire, from Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government, had fled her village years ago to escape the harmful ritual.
FGM has been upheld in the community, seen as a sacred practice to ‘purify’ young women and prepare them for marriage.
Emeterhire had built a new life in Asaba. She lived peacefully, fell in love, and was expecting her first child. However, as her due date approached, her mother urged her to return to Ogwashi-Uku, fearing that her grandchild would be cursed without the traditional blessings of the village.
Emeterhire returned home, ignorant that the village elders, who had resented her, were waiting. When complications arose during her labour, they imposed on her the ritual she had escaped years earlier.
In the de.ad of night, as she lay in agony from childbirth, the elders stormed her home. Weak and unable to resist, she was dragged to the ceremonial grounds where FGM was performed without her consent.
The procedure, in addition to the strain of labour, was too much for her fragile state. By dawn, Emeterhire was de.ad, leaving behind a child.
Her death has sparked outrage among rights activists, who have condemned the practice of FGM in the region.
