Man Flogged to Death Over Alleged Rape of 10-Year-Old Girl in Bayelsa Community
A 47-year-old man, identified as Mr. Emi Sigah (also simply referred to as Emi), has died after receiving about 40 strokes of the cane in Ekeowe (Ekowe) community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, following allegations that he raped a 10-year-old girl. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, March 26, 2026, has sparked outrage and brief chaos in the riverside community, highlighting tensions between longstanding local traditions and Nigeria’s formal legal system. According to community sources, the victim (name withheld) was accompanying her aunt to a nearby farm to pluck okra when the suspect allegedly ambushed her while her relative was ahead. He was reportedly caught in the act of molesting the minor in a nearby bush. Ekeowe community enforces an age-long tradition for cases of rape, viewed as a “sacrilegious act.” The customary punishment requires 10 strokes of the cane from each of the community’s 12 families, totaling 120 lashes, intended as a strong...