BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
Members of the Nnoko family in Anumaocha village, Ezzama, in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, are currently at war over the proposed burial site and the rites to be performed on their deceased sister, who died childless.
The late 40-year-old woman, Ngozi Noko, got married to a man from Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State as a teenager, but parted ways with her husband in 2014 as a result of her inability to give birth.
After getting divorced, it was gathered that she returned to her father’s compound in Ebonyi. No sooner had she returned to her father’s house than she took ill and died on August 14.
Acrimony over where the decreased would be buried is currently tearing the family of the deceased apart. The controversy was linked to her childlessness as well as her decision to part ways with her first husband.
The eldest son of her extended family, Augustine Nnoko, insisted that Ngozi’s remains should be buried at the evil forest according to custom and tradition of the community because she died childless.
However, other family members, especially Ngozi’s siblings, have insisted that her remains should be interred within the family compound.
On that note, Augustine dragged Ngozi’s siblings to the Ebonyi State Family Law Center, Abakaliki, for allegedly attempting to desecrate the family land with Ngozi’s corpse. He argued that burying Ngozi’s remains on family land could attract mass death to their lineage.
The Point gathered that customarily, in Abakaliki block in Ebonyi State, comprising of Ezza, Izzi, Ikwo and Ngbo clans, whoever dies without having children gets thrown into the evil forest popularly known as ‘Ikirikpo.’
But since the incursion of Christianity, the practice had been annulled while some fanatics still hold on to it.
Ngozi’s siblings, led by their eldest brother, Okafor Igwe, a Christian cleric, insisted that since Ngozi while alive was a devout Christian, there was no need burying her in accordance with the ancient custom of the land.
Ruling on the matter, the chairman of the state Family Law Centre, Elizabeth Nwali, said that Augustine had no right to force his religion and ancient custom on people of different faith.
Nwali ordered that Ngozi’s corpse be either taken to her husband’s compound or her father’s for burial and not the evil forest.
Consequently, on October 15, 2021, the remains of the woman were buried amidst tight security in her father’s compound.
