In Ekiti, Mom’s Refusal to Circumcise 5 Year Old Daughter Tears Family Apart

Olufunke Oyenekan and her daughter

An Ekiti woman’s refusal to let her young daughter be circumcised has torn her family and her fiancee’s family apart.

The woman, Olufunke Oyenekan fled from Ekiti State in 2012 with her daughter to escape her fiancee’s family, who are insisting that the little girl be circumcised, The Sun reports. Her whereabouts are

still unknown. However, her fiancee’s family is still trying to track her down.

Her fiancee, Emmanuel Olaoye, is from a royal family in Ushi-Ekiti, Ekiti State. His father, who was a traditional ruler, passed away in 2012, leaving Olaoye as his successor.

As part of traditional rites, Olaoye’s family demanded that all of the couple’s children must undergo circumcision.

Speaking to reporters about the issue, a member of Olaoye’s family, Olu Olaoye stated that:

She (Olufunke) is not helping us, neither is she helping our daughter she has taken away. There are certain cultural practices that we adhere to in our land, some are avoidable while others are not. This practice of circum­cision is part of the unavoid­able ones. Olufunke cannot prevent us from carrying out cultural and traditional rites on our own blood. It is a must that we do the circumcision rites for the girl. Moreso, that the child is a princess, a daughter from the royal fami­ly of Ushi Ekiti and possibly a future regent.

However, Oyenekan’s family seem to be open to the idea of circumcising the little girl. A member of the family, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “in our part of the world, it is the man who owns the child and has the final say over him or her.”

“Our daughter, Olufunke is more western-oriented than many of us. She has vowed not to allow any circumcision for her daughter. She says the practice might have an adverse effect on the girl in the future. We would have been able to intervene in the matter to ensure that peace reigns but right now, I can swear to you that we do not even know the whereabouts of Olufunke and her child,” he/she said.

Olaoye has expressed his love for his fiancee, urging her to come back to him. However, he insists that the circumcision must take place by all means.