Ijegun Egba, Lagos State — Mrs. Isiaka Bunmi Oluwatosin, a resident of Ijegun Egba in Lagos State, has cried out over continued threats to her life, allegedly from the family of her late husband, stemming from cultural and traditional practices.
In an interview, Bunmi said that her ordeal began following the death of her husband, the late King Isiaka Atanda Jamiu of Ijegun Egba Land, who passed away on September 22, 2022, few days before his scheduled coronation as king of Ijegun Egba Land.
She stated that three months after his passing, family members of the deceased insisted she must marry one of his brothers, as dictated by local tradition. But Bunmi said she bluntly refused this demand.
Her refusal, she explained, led to confrontations and rising tensions with her late husband’s family.
According to her, the pressure escalated to a point where she suffered severe emotional distress and even lost a three-year-old baby due to the trauma.
Looking visibly distressed, Bunmi recounted that the family began threatening her on a near-daily basis, demanding she leave the palace while leaving her children behind. She said she now lives in fear for her life after repeated threats of physical harm or death if she continued to defy their wishes.
The threats became unbearable, she said. “I had no choice but to leave the palace with my children and stay with a friend. But even there, the threats continued.”
Bunmi said her friend, fearing for their safety, advised her to find a new place to stay and even suggested she remarry, since she had refused to comply with the traditional expectations.
She further alleged that there was an attempt to abduct her children, but the plan failed. Fearing for their safety, she reported the matter to the police.
However, she expressed disappointment that the police allegedly declined to intervene, stating that the issue was rooted in cultural and traditional matters beyond their purview.
“I don’t know where else to turn,” she lamented. “All I want is to live in peace and raise my children safely.”