No. 10 Owere Aghimien Street, Off Danosa Street, Benin/Auchi Road, Benin City, Edo State was thrown into confusion recently following an attack and threat to life of a young man, Mr Enoch Ajali by his kinsmen for his refusal to have his 10 years old daughter circumcised according to the custom and traditions of his community.
Trouble was said to have started for the young man who hails from Ibore Community, Esan Central Local Government area of Edo State when his family members called on him to get his daughter (Valentina Ajali) ready for the aged long rituals of circumcision.
According to a family source who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said the young girl who was born on the 14th day of February, 2014 was of age to be circumcised along side with other female children at the shrine (altar of the goddess known as Edionowemen).
He further said the alleged refusal of the said Mr. Enoch Ajali to present his daughter for the rituals of circumcision infuriated the elders and people adding that it has been their aged long customary law traditions and practice in the community and that it is compulsory for the females to be circumcised.
He noted that any parents who refuse to bring forth their daughters for the rituals of circumcision are declared as an enemy of the community and be made to face the wrath of the land and with what he (Mr. Enoch Ajali) has gone through when his wife was circumcised, he vow not to allow same to happen to his daughter hence his refusal to partake in the circumcision rituals.
He pointed out that there have been palpable fear and grief in the community, following the gruesome deaths of one Mr Daniel Aimamenesun Osifo and Mr Imasuen Liwagbon who were murdered the same period when they did not allow their daughters to partake in the rituals
The family source further added that Mr Enoch Ajali refused to have his daughter circumcised due to the way and manner the process is carried out on those that will be circumcised, using an unsterilized knife that has been placed on the altar of the goddess of the community called Edionowemen and the initiation of the girls to be circumcised into the cult of the goddess.
“As a result of his refusal to bring forth his daughter to be circumcised and initiated, the elders have declared him an enemy of the community and also have been terrorizing him with different calls and messages for him to succumb to them so as to carry out the dastardly act of circumcision on his daughter ” the source added
He however lamented that the whereabouts of the said Mr Enoch Ajali and his family were unknown after the attack for him to present his daughter for the circumcision rituals in the community
However when the correspondent sought to get the facts of the report from the community, nobody was ready to talk about the circumcision rituals .
