For refusing to get herself and her children circumcised, a mother of three, Mrs Victoria Ijeoma Akinsanya has been forced to abscond her Festac town, Lagos residence to an unknown destination. Not only that, her younger brother Njoku Ifeanyi was beaten by hoodlums while their aged mother Mrs Celestina Njoku now lives in fear.
Victoria hails from Imo State but her in-laws are from Itoko in Abeokuta, Ogun State. It is the custom of the family of Akinsanya to initiate their male child and circumcise the female child. Family source told Saturday Vanguard that failure to carry out these rites may cause deaths and premature deaths in the family.
Unknown to Victoria, some old women suspected to be members of Akinsanya visited to carry out the rites but met the ire of Victoria. Family members at various times visited and appealed to the Njokus who lived at Akinbami area of Festac town, to get Victoria and her children circumcised according to their tradition.
But the appeal fell on deaf ears as Victoria and her children took to their heels for safety. It was gathered that the Akinsanya family said it is a taboo for any member of their family to remain uncircumcised and as a result, Victoria and her children risk ancestral problems for disobeying their deity. Presently Victoria’s whereaabout is unknown while her mother was unhappy about the development.