72-year-old woman whose genitals were cut off for money rituals is dead
A 72-year-old woman whose domestic worker allegedly cut off her genitals for money ritual in Anambra State is dead.
Chidinma Ikeanyiownu, a media aide to the State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how Onyebuchi Ezeh, a domestic worker to the Septuagenarian, allegedly cut off her genitals earlier in March.
Mr Ezeh, an indigene of Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, reportedly confessed that he and others, currently on the run, were sent by an unnamed native doctor to get the victim’s body parts to make them rich.
The 72-year-old woman, later identified as Charity Okoli, hailed from Umunze, a community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Mrs Okoli was taken to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka for medical treatment, where she later died as a result of injuries, according to the statement.
The women and social welfare commissioner has expressed sadness over the death of Mrs Okoli, Ms Ikeanyiownu said.
Mrs Obinabo indicated that the suspect has been charged at the Children and Gender Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka over the incident just as she vowed to ensure justice for the deceased.
She urged everyone, especially protesting women from the victim’s community, to give the court some time to deliver judgement on the matter, maintaining that she would not relent until all the suspects connected to the crime were arrested and arraigned.
The commissioner refuted the speculations that the Anambra State Government asked indigenes of Ebonyi State residing in Anambra State to leave the state because of the incident.
She said the government only insists that people coming from other states to reside in Anambra must abide by the order in the state or go elsewhere.
Anambra State Government would not condone any act that will distort the peaceful coexistence among the people of the state, she said.
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