… Describes it as Desecration of Tradition
This is not the best of times for the family of late Pa Michael Okiye of Isua community and that of Pa. Joseph Ehichoya of Idijie community as the news of their children’s love lives have put a sour taste in their mouths.
According to reports reaching our news desk, one Onosetale and Humphrey’s “good news” to get married was strongly resisted by the kinsmen owning to the fact that they are close relatives.
In an exclusive interview, Pa Otah, a paternal uncle to Humphrey Okiye vowed to resist and prevent the marriage as the community consider it a taboo for maternal cousins of Idumu-Okosun to get married as husband and wife in Isua-Arue community in Esan North East Local Government Area.
Pa Otah said since his birth over seventy years ago, it has never happened in the community for relatives to come together as husband and wife. He emphasised that the entire community will not stand to see their children openly corrupting and desecrating the land of their forefathers all in the name of their so called love.
Speaking to our correspondent, another elder in the community, Elder Igbase said trouble started in 2021, when Onosetale and Humphrey Okiye visited their kinsmen to announce their readiness to officially tie the knot and become husband and wife come 11 December 2021.
According to Elder Igbase, when enquiries were made further by the kinsmen about Humphrey’s lineage, it was discovered that both Humphrey and Onosetale were maternal cousins which made the elders to conclude that the marriage must not be allowed to hold as this was a taboo; considering that the parents of these young children have the same grandparents from this same Isua community.
According to him, “on the knowledge that they have been cohabiting and equally expecting a child, it was concluded by the elders that the unborn child must be dedicated and serve as sacrifice to the community Shrine to appease the gods”, Elder Igbase said.
“In spite of the warnings and threats to these children, they still went ahead and decided to continue with the wedding.
“They gave a very feeble excuse that they want a proper family for their unborn child. How can that kind of family be proper when sister and brother get married in defiant to our culture and tradition of marriage”, pa Igbase asked.
“Traditionally, it is highly forbidden for them to marry each other. Any children of such marriage according to our customs and traditions are considered products of sacrilege and they are dedicated to the gods. They are supposed to be “cleansing sacrificed” to the gods to prevent bad omen in our land, Pa Igbase added.
“We must resist this marriage by all means or else, they will succeed in corrupting our time tested values”, the elder insisted.
Effort to get the position of the Police authority in the area was not successful. However, an officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity explained that the issue at stake is a traditional and family matter.
He said the matter is not in the jurisdiction of the police but to be handled by the kinsmen and family elders in the community.
As at the time of filing in this report, the whereabouts of the couple (Onosetale and Humphrey) could not be ascertained as close source volunteered that they are hiding for fear of their lives and that of their child.
