Tension gripped the Awo-Omamma community in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State as a widow, Mrs. Chika Ndubuisi, was dramatically rescued from being forced to drink water used to bathe her late husband’s corpse a barbaric ritual allegedly orchestrated by her in-laws.

The deceased’s kinsmen accused Mrs. Ndubuisi of being responsible for her husband’s death and attempted to compel her to prove her innocence by drinking the corpse’s bathwater a shocking remnant of ancient widowhood rites.

However, their plot was thwarted following a timely intervention by the Imo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Lady Nkechinyere Ugwu, the Local Council authorities, and security operatives, after a women’s advocacy group raised an urgent alarm.

Lady Ugwu, visibly outraged, condemned the incident in strong terms, describing it as “barbaric, inhuman, and completely unacceptable in a civilized society.”

“It is shocking that in this modern age, a grieving widow would be subjected to such cruelty in the name of tradition,” the Commissioner lamented.

“Normalcy has been restored, and a detailed investigation is underway. Mrs. Ndubuisi and her children are now under government protection.”

The Commissioner confirmed that several arrests have been made in connection with the attempted act, adding that the Ministry, in collaboration with the Local Council Chairman and Non-Governmental Organisations, ensured the widow’s rescue.

Meanwhile, Imo First Lady, Chioma Uzodinma, has ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident, vowing that those found culpable will face the full weight of the law.

Reports indicate that Mrs. Ndubuisi was detained alongside her husband’s corpse before the intervention, as her in-laws accused her of playing a role in his death.

The shocking incident has once again reignited public outcry over lingering harmful widowhood practices in parts of Nigeria, despite ongoing campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights.