By our Reporter

Dorothy Imade Eke never imagined that the birth of her daughter would lead her into a years-long battle to protect her child from a tradition that nearly destroyed her own life. But after multiple attempts by extended family members to forcibly circumcise her 16-year-old daughter, Eke says she had no choice but to flee Nigeria and seek asylum in the United States.

In a harrowing account, Eke details a legacy of pain, fear, and defiance against one of the most harmful practices affecting women and girls in Nigeria through our repoter: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Eke, 46, a businesswoman and CEO of ZEKDORCHA Global Limited, says her nightmare began when her eldest daughter, Adaobi, then just 12 years old, was secretly subjected to FGM by her paternal grandmother in 2015. Despite Eke’s repeated objections, the grandmother performed the circumcision while Eke was out buying groceries. Eke came home to a scene of blood and screams.

“I collapsed the moment I saw Adaobi,” Eke said. “She was crying, covered in blood. My world fell apart.”

Adaobi was hospitalized with serious complications and continues to suffer long-term trauma from the experience. That trauma hit even harder for Eke, who herself was subjected to FGM as a child and says it left her emotionally and physically scarred for life.

“I describe myself as a ‘Moving Reproductive Engine,’” she said. “I don’t know what sexual pleasure is. I was robbed of it as a child. And now, watching my daughter go through the same thing — it’s unbearable.”

Determined never to allow history to repeat itself, Eke swore that her second daughter, Chioma Theresa Eke, born in 2009, would not face the same fate. But according to Eke, members of her husband’s royal family in Delta State had other plans.

In their community of Ase Kingdom, where kingship is rotated between two ruling families, tradition dictates that any female member of the royal lineage must undergo circumcision in order to participate in royal rites — including the procession of the Offor, the staff of office, during coronation ceremonies.

Since Chioma’s birth, the family has faced sustained pressure and multiple attacks aimed at forcing her circumcision.

The first incident came in 2009 when two of her husband’s uncles tried to kidnap the baby girl from their Abuja home. In 2021, a more violent attempt occurred, culminating in an arson attack that nearly killed her husband.

“They set our house on fire and locked my husband inside,” Eke recalled. “He suffered first-degree burns. That night changed everything.”

Although a police report was filed, the matter was dismissed as a “family and traditional issue.” Local police suggested resolving the matter within the family or moving away for safety.

But the threats continued. In May 2025, a relative attempted to abduct Chioma from her school in Lagos using a forged letter claiming she needed a medical check-up. The school principal’s quick thinking thwarted the plan, and Eke knew it was time to act.

According to our reporter, the family’s story reflects a broader problem in Nigeria. Despite the country’s 2015 federal ban on FGM under then-President Goodluck Jonathan, enforcement remains weak, and traditional practices continue largely unchecked in many regions. According to the World Health Organization, Nigeria accounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s FGM cases, with over 41% of adult women affected.

Eke’s declaration paints a grim picture of how cultural expectations and patriarchal structures can endanger women and girls — even those with legal protections.

“My family is being punished for saying no,” Eke said. “They reversed the land inheritance to my husband and refused to recognize our only son. They say we are disgracing the family.”

With their extended family scattered across Nigeria, the couple fears there is nowhere in the country where they can hide. Eke says her daughter’s life will always be at risk irrespective of their hideout.

Their obsession with tradition is deadly,” she said. “I will not let Chioma suffer the same fate”.

Eke’s ordeal is a chilling reminder that for some families, tradition is not culture — it is a death sentence. And for women like her, escape is not just a desire. It’s a matter of survival as vividly opined by our reporter.