Hoodlums Attack Traditional Ruler For Not Surrendering Second Daughter For Traditional Rite

Mojisola Lawal

Mojisola Lawal

Traditional ruler of Ashasa kingdom in the Agbowa community of Lagos state, High Royal Highness Adekoya Adeolu Olaonipekun was recently attacked by hoodlums over his refusal to surrender his second daughter for a traditional rite.

According to the monarch, his first daughter, Adekoya Grace Olushola, was also a victim of the traditional rite who having undergone genital mutilation later died of tetanus infection at the age of 7.

He alleged the community’s traditional council wrote a letter to him requesting him to surrender his daughter, Olushola within nine days of the receipt of the letter or face the consequences.

The letter titled “introduction to our traditional rites” and co-signed by the chairman and secretary of the Council, Chief Adekoya Dauda and Prince Adekoya Bamidele respectively read, “We, the elders of Adekoya Descendent family want you to present your first daughter, Adekoya Grace Olushola for traditional rites.

You, being the first son of your father and your daughter being the first grandchild of your father, she must undergo female genital mutilation as our tradition demands.

You are to present her to us within nine (9) days for the family traditional rites. Failure to comply will attract severe punishment which would be dangerous to you, your wife and other children.

It’s mandatory for you to present her within the stipulated time. Do not dare us as your father said he had called you severally and you are not heeding his request. I want you to know that if you are still walking and eating on the soil of Africa, we will get you and your children. We are waiting for your positive response to present your daughter for the family traditional rites.”

But unfortunately, Olushola died of tetanus infection caused by genital mutilation as established by a medical report issued by Dr A.A. Ajibike, a senior medical officer at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH.

“The deceased was rushed to the Children Emergency unit of this hospital on the 22 of April, 2019 following history of genital mutilation. She had stillness of the abdominal and back muscles, lockjaw and contractions of the facial muscles at presentation. Immediate CPR was instituted. She was placed on intranasal oxygen. However, all effort to resuscitate patient proved abortive as he was certified dead on the 22 of April, 2019 by 11:26pm. The primary cause of death was tetanus infection” the report read.

The sad news of the death of his beloved daughter, the monarch explained, was responsible for his refusal to allow his second daughter be subjected to the killer traditional rites.
And this, he claimed, was the cause of his torments and sleeplessness.

Consequence to his refusal, in an attack allegedly masterminded by his biological father, he said he was axed and stabbed by hoodlums.

He explained further, “I have been under series of violent attack by some hoodlums for upholding my Christian faith and refusing to indulge in the community’s traditional rites.

I was axed and stabbed on my belly by the hoodlums while my wife’s properties were destroyed.

And for fear of further attack, I fled the community with my family to reside abroad. I had lost my first daughter to this same tradition which requires a female first child of the family to be presented for genital mutilation. They claimed it’s the family traditional rites.

Not minding this, they insisted the rite be performed on another of my daughters which I bluntly refused. And this explained the violent attack on me and my family by my father and the traditional council.

I was attacked sometimes in May 2020 by some hoodlums who axed me on my right hand and stabbed me multiple times with broken bottles on my belly. My wife was attacked too and her goods were destroyed in another attack.

I lodged a complaint at the Ikeja police station where my statement was recorded by they were not deterred by this.

As a peace loving person, I felt it is best and safer for me to forgo the throne and relocate outside the country because I never pray to lose any of my remaining two daughters to the evil family traditional rites that had claimed the life of my first daughter, Adekoya Grace Olushola in April 22nd, 2019 when she was circumcised and died of tetanus infection.”

Efforts to get the spokesman of Lagos state police command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin for his reaction proved abortive as calls made to his phones were neither picked nor returned.

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