No be small wahala we dey face for Naija o! For Nsukka wey dey Enugu State, one woman wey dem call Nkoli Ugwu don turn from busy shop owner to person wey dey waka barefoot like ghost. E be like movie, but this one na real life, my people.

Nkoli na market woman wey dey hustle for provision shop. She dey sell everything wey you fit imagine, and she be beta mama for her four pikin dem. But as dem start to dey spread rumor sey she dey cheat on her husband, everything change. Her sister, Chinyere, talk say once dem accuse woman for dem area, e go be like sey na verdict don fall upon am.

Women wey no fit defend themselves, dem dey suffer am for the hand of society—see Nkoli for instance. Instead of care and support, dem simply abandon am. The story wey dey float around say she no gree confess sey she dey cheat, and na im make people come dey shout say na the gods dey punish am. Imagine sey people dey waka pass Nkoli dey talk to herself like say she don lose touch with reality!

Her condition don turn to something wey dey cause pity and shame for her pikin dem wey dey cry dey find am everywhere for street. Chinyere no gree lie, she talk say the community dey ready to label any woman wey dem accuse like guilty, even if dem no catch am red-handed. Na wah!

As we dey carry this gist, we don see sey this madness syndrome dey infect women wey no go fit talk. Na cultural belief we go say dey govern we, but na who go support them when dem dey face judgement without evidence? Other women like Judith Amadi for Arochukwu dey suffer the same fate too. Dem don accuse her of infidelity, and because of that wahala, she dey battle mad condition now.

This whole wahala show how tradition fit be like heavy chain wey dey hold women down. For Nsukka and Arochukwu, if dem accuse you, you dey lose every respect. Men no dey face am like that—if dem cheat, na lunch for restaurant. Wetin happen to equality?

Na gender activists dey shout sey we need to change this story. Women dey suffer because dem no gree follow the yardstick wey the men set. Nkoli and Judith no be alone—plenty women dey face this kind madness as spiritual punishment for crimes wey dem no commit! How long we go dey sit down dey watch dis kolo kolo behavior?

Some traditional healers believe sey anything wey happen to these women fit stop if they confess under pressure. But how many people fit stand that kind disgrace? Pikin dem dey sufer for something wey una fit just call rumor. Na traditional belief wey don pass through generations, and many no even sabi the danger wey dey inside am!

Dem dey say the curses fit bring sicknesses and even death; if you no perform cleansing rituals after accusation, the whole family go suffer am. In a nutshell, this na clear case of gender inequality wey dey play out for our eye, and dem no dey hide am at all. How long we go continue like dis?

Na wetin other cultures dey? Why we go still dey uphold traditions wey dey kill women? Questions wey require answers; we don dey tire for all these wahala!