Tension in community as hired miscreants search for woman

Youths suspected to be social miscreants last Thursday, unleashed terror on residents of Alagbake Extension  of  Akure in Ondo state  as they  bombarded the area in search of a house wife who, they alleged, refused to get  her daughter circumcised.

For over two hours, the entire area was thrown into confusion as the miscreants combed the nooks and crannies of the community looking for one, Madam Daramola Olayinka, who failed to obey her mother-in-law’s directive that she should circumcise her last daughter.

It was gathered that Madam Daramola, had similar experiences with her first two daughters, Ayomide and Ayomiposi, when the family of her then, husband, then, also wanted them circumcised by force, a request she bluntly turned down.

When the miscreants got to her residence, on 14, Hon Kemisola Adesanya street, some of her property, were allegedly vandalised by the youths, who were sent to go after her by her mother-in-law, Mrs Bashorun Folasade, a resident of Ode Erinje in Ondo state.

Madam Daramola, according to her sister, Bimbola who spoke journalists at her residence, “My sister is currently traumatized as she now receives  series of threat calls and letters by the youths who were said to have been hired by her mother in-law.”

She explained that the miscreants were armed with dangerous weapons, as they vowed to continue their endless search for her sister and her three daughters.

The woman’s ordeal  came just as two non government organisations,the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center, WARDC and Gender Development Initiatives, GDI, at the just concluded African Women’s Day, condemned female circumcision.

The founder of GDI, Prof Oluwabunmi Asimolowo who spoke on behalf of the two groups at a campaign outreach in Ondo state, noted “female circumcision is still done, secretly in  the western part of Nigeria, we have been doing mass education on the issue.

“We did a survey about 10 years ago and I discovered that at the heart of Itoku, in Abeokuta, Ogun State and Ondo state, it was a known practice done by some people and to date, they still engage in it,” she lamented.

Prof Ashimolowo explained that the groups would prosecute people still found engaging in the act, which she described as cruelty against the girl child, saying “We will prosecute any  offender based on the VAPP law, that is, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law /Act.”

When journalists visited the residence of Madam Daramola Olayinka who sources revealed divorced her first husband over similar circumcision issue, in Akure, the gate was under  lock and key, while she was said to have moved out of the apartment, with her three children, Ayomide, Ayomiposi and Ayodunni, for fear of possible attack.

A neighbour who craved anonymity for security reason, told newsmen, “We have not had peace in our area since the past couple of weeks as miscreants make life difficult for us with their excesses, as they vowed to attack and forcefully take her daughter from her, for circumcision against her wishes.”