BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

Asaba—NATIONAL Coordinator of Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHD, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, yesterday, described the forceful ejection of the wife of the Obi of Igbodo from the palace because she was not an indigene of the community as “inhuman,” vowing to report the matter to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

However, the Iyase of Igbodo (the Prime Minister), Dr. Joseph Unomah told Vanguard that “what Igbodo people did was proper. They went to the palace to demand one thing from the Obi. To ask him why he has been disgracing the community.

MD Abubakar, Police IG

“Why should he marry a non-indigene? The last straw that broke the camel’s back was that he (Obi) brought the said lady to the palace. So the community rose, marched to the palace and demanded her evacuation.”

Ikimi  said: “The Igbodo experience would be reported to the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja and same shall form part of our periodic review report on women’s right in Nigeria.

“That custom is cruel, inhuman, absurd and repugnant to natural law, equity and good conscience. There is, therefore, the urgent need by the Federal Government based on its firm commitment to the United Nations to intensify efforts in guaranteeing women’s rights against harmful traditional practices such as that obtainable in Igbodo by enacting legislation to prohibit such harmful practices against women and also embark on enlightenment campaign to eradicate such obnoxious practices.

“In the absence of such a legislation, our women would continue to be exposed to all forms of violence such as female genital mutilation, harmful traditional practices against widows, among others, in the name of traditional customs with minimal help from human rights groups.”