A middle-aged man from Ibadan, Oyo State, of the Kobomoje clan in the megalopolis, Mr. Adelana Gbenga Wale, has reportedly suffered a confiscation of his properties worth millions of Naira by his uncle, Chief Ogunbiyi Agba Adelana, popularly known as Baba Agba.
Wale, currently living abroad, it was gathered, suffered hostility against him by Baba Agba, stemming from the refusal by him and his wife to make the latter concede to undergoing circumcision whenever she is seven-month pregnant.
Explaining the background to the alleged exploitation, Wale’s maternal uncle, Chief Fola Ajibade lamented that this scenario traumatised his nephew and his wife of 22 years to the extent that she is still today scared stiff of conceiving a child.
He identified his nephew’s wife as Aiyegbeni Elizabeth Iye, until she got married to his younger relation.
“After they got married way back in 2001, Wale’s mother and grandmother convened a meeting with Elizabeth in company with other married women in our community, and they informed her of our tradition of circumcising ‘the wives of the family’ during their first pregnancy in the seventh month.
“Elizabeth opposed the move, but they stood their ground and threatened her with sanctions because our tradition had never been broken, and they told her that she would be the first person to commit such sacrilege.
“It got so bad that when Elizabeth tried to enlighten them that there is no scientific backing for their quest, my grandmother slapped her twice,” Ajibade lamented.
Continuing, Chief Ajibade said all efforts by Elizabeth to seek redress by reporting the assault at a Lagos police station met with brickwalls, as the cops on duty dismissed her, saying it was a family matter in which the police should not interfere.
But Chief Ajibade lamented that the couple is now faced with virulent attacks from Baba Agba, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), one who is having “unrestrained influence”.
“Already, Baba Agba has sold all the properties of the couple worth millions of Naira, simply because of his hogwash wish that Elizabeth should go do circumcision anytime she is seven-month pregnant,” Ajibade lamented.
All efforts to reach Baba Agba proved abortive as he chased away our correspondent that visited his Ibadan home, and he also failed to pick all calls made to his cellphone.
