Two underage girls (18 and 17-year-old girls) flee Abakaliki as 10 men and women chase them for FGM/C

Two girls from Abakaliki in Ebonyi state, aged, 18 and 17 years have fled their community as men and women numbering 10 run after them for genital mutilation.

Whereas Confidence Mbam, 17 ran to Cross Rive state where her brother lives, the other girl, Faith Nkwede, 18 ran to the Pastor of their church in the nearby village. The two girls are from Achacha 1 community in Izzi local government area of the state.

For Confidence Mbam who had been out of school since she finished
primary six, the development turned to a blessing as a Non
Governmental organization (NGO) has withdrawn her from the family as
her grandmother cursed and threatened that after the visitors might
have left, she would by every force be mutilated as should be the fate
of every other woman in the community.

The AUTHORITY Correspondent who visited the community in the company of
UNICEF Information Officer, Ijeoma   Onuoha-Ogwe and some Non
Governmental Organizations (NGOs) witnessed and heard the ordeal of
the teenage girls.

Confidence told our reporter that she was in their house one hot
afternoon when a group of about ten women and men came to cut her
female genitalia but was alarmed by the number so pleaded to pick
something from the room but had to escape from a small widow in the
house.

She said they chased after her but was able to meander into a thick
bush that made it difficult for them to catch her.

She said that they had been taught by their pastor that it was
unhealthy and that their religion does not support that, more so that
she was afraid of the pains of being cut at that age of seventeen.

“I first ran to our Pastor and from there later in the night I ran
through the track routes to Cross River State where my brother is
living”, she stated.

While she was answering questions from our reporter, the grandmother
angrily asked her to get inside the room but was overruled by the
father, Chief Bernard Nkwede, the Village Head.

Worried by the vituperations of the grandmother, Dr. Adline Idike,
founder of Adline Advocacy for the Dignity of the Destitute Foundation
who was in the team requested to have to girl handed over to her for
upkeep.

She explained that though she had six other girls under her care, she
would ensure better life for her, guarantee that she gets the best of
education, expressed fears if the girl was allowed to stay back, they
could forcefully mutilate her that night, and with the consent of the
father and her biological mother, Idike, former Chairman, Ebonyi State
Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC)  left immediate with the
girl to her palatial home, also in the Izzi local government area.

The other girl, Faith’s narration was similar to that of Confidence,
but for the fact that she was able to hide within the village and was
rescued by their Pastor.


Attached are pictures of Confidence Mbam and their family house in
Achacha in Izzi L.G.A


Felix Uka, Abakaliki