An indigene of Obiaruku community, Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State, Mrs. Julie Ugbe, has narrated how she and members of her family were forced to flee the community over her refusal to accede to the demands of their relations to circumcise her girl child and appease a deity.

Narrating her ordeal to newsmen, Mrs Ugbe who was a resident of Umusu-me quarter of the community, said: “On February 5, 2017, I was invited by my husband’s family to circumcise my girl child.

“As the process was about to commence, I remembered my first child, Ugbe Udochi Vera who was circumcised on April 1st but died on the 8th day of April 2010 as a result of bleeding. She was born on January 10, 2010.

“I made an attempt to stop the mutilation but instead I was violently thrown on the floor where my upper teeth were knocked off.

“In the commotion that followed, the chief priest fell down, which they termed as a taboo, though the incident was not intentional, we were told to appease the gods before the circumcision would continue.

“I was badly hurt and was bleeding seriously, but they seemed not to care. They were after sacrifice and my child’s mutilation.

“That same day, my husband, Ugbe Cletus Opia rushed me, almost unconscious to the General Hospital, Obiaruku for treatment.

“On the 10th day of February, we together with our children, Ugbe Vallen Aniezechukwu, born on February 14, 2013 and Ugbe Oluchi Cherish, whom I had June 20th, 2015 fled to Lagos where we decided to take refuge at my elder sister’s home.

“While we were there, we had Ugbe Valerie Nmenichim on 14th February, 2019,” she added. (Vanguard)

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