Women in Nsukka are struck with instant madness when they cheat on their husbands.
There is an ancient culture in Nsukka, a town in Enugu State in Southeastern Nigeria, that prevents a married woman from cheating on her husband. The first time I heard about this culture, it piqued my interest so much that I asked a lot of questions about it.
As the tradition which I was told has existed for centuries goes, no woman whose bride price has been paid should go to bed with another man. Any woman that defiles this law is struck with instant madness.
In some cases, the husband of the unfaithful woman will simply fall sick and die.
Men are free
The tradition is so popular and revered that every indigene knows of it. Sadly, it only applies to women. The culture offers no equivalent punishment for married men who commit the same offence. Talk about cheating in a tradition installed to combat cheating.
One man said:
“I’m from Nsukka and the culture is true and very real. I have seen things happen. The kind of things not many have seen. You either remain with your husband and keep your body for him or return the bride price that was paid on your head and move on. There is no room for infidelity for women in Nsukka.”
Another person, a lady this time, also confirmed the culture exists.
“Yes, it happens. It was my grandmother who first told me about it. I think everyone knows about it. Every married woman knows. I have heard stories of some women who fell victim.”
Asked if she feels bothered about the culture, she said:
“Bothered? No. I think it is only a woman who intends to sleep around that would be bothered by such a thing.”
Same culture in other places
We also learnt it is not just in Nsukka you find this custom. A similar tradition exists in Umunze, a town in Orumba south local government area in Anambra state, located several miles away from Nsukka.
Here, the married woman or basically just any woman whose bride price has been paid can mess around with other men as long as she does not allow herself to be penetrated. Once an entry occurs with a man other than her husband, a great calamity will befall her. Several other towns in Anambra State have the same custom.
Skepticism
As expected with most fetish beliefs and practices, there are a lot of people who do not believe this tradition is real or is effective. While many have sworn it happens, even confirmed having witnessed it work, there are a few others who deny its potency and a further few writing it off as simply a “made-up story used to scare people”.
This set of people who do not believe the culture though have also admitted they would not be willing to try or have someone close to them risk trying it to prove the authenticity.
